Doubtless Dropping Off
by Victoria Hughes
Summary: FINALLY, CHAPTER 22 UP. In another world, the Shadow Games manifest in a way far more sinister than card games. Forced into servitude to his greatest enemy, Yami must gather his Aibou and friends to save the world again.
1. All Out War

**Doubtless Dropping Off (Into Insanity)**

_A/N: Goodness knows I have a hard time ever finishing longish AU stories. I have some basic clue where this is going, but it's pretty sketchy. Trying to keep things on a rather small scale here._

_Welcome to a world where things were never quite the same as the original YuGiOh! universe, but definitely strange. The Millennium Items are the focus of not a card game, but a much more serious international conflict. When you've got Shadow Magic at every turn, you really need a master of the Shadow Games … but Yuugi's been missing for years._

_Something big is going down._

_Please enjoy, if you happen across this story. Reviews are always appreciated!_

_&_

_Atum-Ra draws skyward_

_At the time of Ma'at's devising._

_God King has gone to the land of Osiris._

_We mourn him and praise his sacred name._

_Now is the time of the new God King,_

_Son of Ra, crafty as Set._

_His time is as the night,_

_And he shall be called --_

_Pharaoh, King of Games._

_--carving found in the ruins of Thebes. Believed to refer to the Nameless Pharaoh of the 18__th__ Dynasty. As with every mention of the Pharaoh, his name has been scratched out._

**Chapter 1: All-Out War**

The whole operation had gone to hell.

"We're fucked," Jonouchi announced at the top of his lungs, ducking cannon fire. "How the fuck did they get a fucking A-cup, anyway!?" He referenced the 28A light cannon artillery designed to fit on the roof of a Hummer vehicle with its slang term, derived from the name sounding like a bra size.

By all rights, no one should have had that cannon here, in Cairo. These days Egypt – or what passed for an Egyptian Government – had tighter control on all weapons bigger than a shoulder rocket launcher than nearly all other governments combined. That, and the fodder being used—

"Who cares!?" was Honda's shouted response, making Jonouchi lose his train of thought. "Intel screwed us bad. Let's get everyone out while we can!" He began shouting commands into his radio, getting mostly hissy static in response. "Shit!"

"EVP interference," Jonouchi growled. He snapped up his own radio. "If you can hear me, FUBAR, FUBAR! 10-4 to all Safeties ASAP!" He cursed again as he was forced to duck, debris from the torn-up pavement showering him. He and Honda coughed in the settling dust before Honda saw something that made him nauseous with fear. He gathered his wits enough to grab Jonouchi by the sleeve.

"_Run_," he commanded, and Jonouchi needed no second bidding, his gaze following Honda's to the thin tendrils of shadow that seemed to creep along the ground all on their own. They tore off down the street through the obscuring smoke, occasionally laying covering fire as others from their band as they scattered in all directions, going to their Safeties without hesitation …

If they were alive.

"Shadow magic," Honda panted as they scrambled down a narrow stairwell and into a familiar basement. They heard sirens going by at the last minute – apparently Cairo Enforcement was finally on the job. This was both good news and bad news: the NOs operating the A-cup would have to retreat, unless they fancied taking on the entire Enforcement team, which would give any trapped men on Jonouchi and Honda's side a chance to escape. On the other hand, the Enforcements were indiscriminate with street conflict, and brutal besides. Any wounded left behind on either side would be dead within the hour, bullets in their brains.

"Yeah," Jonouchi breathed in response to Honda's statement. "We're getting close after all."

"Or we're being led into a trap," Honda snorted, ever the pessimist. "Come on, ANZU's waiting for us."

Cairo was labyrinthine at its depths. Even someone who had lived in the ancient city all their life would likely not know all the secret pathways, tunnels, and chambers carved a mere thirty feet below the surface. Jonouchi and Honda were familiar with a fraction of them, and it was one of these well-beaten paths that they took now, lighting the way with a flashlight. Jonouchi, who had held men's guts in with his hands while they waited desperately for a healer, cringed at the occasional rat. Honda could laugh, but in truth he was deathly afraid of scorpions himself. Finally they emerged in another basement some blocks away from where they had started, where the dimming light was filtered through narrow windows at the top of the room. In the corner stood ANZU.

ANZU – ANdroid Zetaphase Universal (IV Series) – was a humanoid machine created by the visionaries of Kaiba Corporations. This particular unit was outfitted and molded to simulate a human female, but the design was meant for tasks requiring superhuman strength, agility, and speed.

It was also programmed with a very distinct personality. The moment Jonouchi opened the door to the basement, she began to exit Sleep Mode, lifting her eyes as she booted up for human interaction. After about 10 seconds of blank staring, she blinked and crossed her arms. "You guys are late! _Again!_ Do you know what kind of a heart attack I had when I heard your radio transmission, Jonouchi!?"

"A fake one?" Jonouchi offered cheekily, but Honda shoved Jonouchi aside before the android could retaliate. "Reporting to Safety," he said dutifully.

ANZU's chest made a series of clicking noises. "Duly noted. Voice patterns recognized and substantiated as human. Visual confirmation. Report?"

"Please."

Anzu's eyes blanked out again as she relayed and exchanged information over a wireless network. "So far: thirteen missing. Eleven walking wounded, three critical. Twenty-three minor wounded, suffering eye irritation from debris, surface wounding. Six uninjured. One soulless."

Jonouchi felt his blood run cold at that last bit, and the ANZU unit's personality was switching back on. "What about you two? Are you all right?"

"Maybe some'a that eye irritation, is all," Jonouchi grumbled. "Soulless? Who is it?"

Anzu's gaze dropped. "Miho."

All three were silent for a long moment, Anzu and Jonouchi looking at Honda. Honda stared at the ground as hard as he could. It was well-known that he had romantic interest in Miho, but now …

Well, everyone who was soulless remained that way, even after some seven years of conflict.

Jonouchi felt a little sick with himself for being relieved that it wasn't his sister. Shizuka was a Safety, but she had been set close to the action. And Shadow Magic was rather … indiscriminate about whose souls it took.

"She's already on her way to the hospital," Anzu said in a reassuring manner. There was little the doctors could do for her, but she would be put on life support. There was always hope for the Soulless. "Shizuka is safe, yes," she added with a knowing look for Jonouchi. "But the mission is—"

"A big, fat failure, we know," Jonouchi grumbled. "We were caught totally unprepared. Intel fucked up when it came to the enforcements. Question is, was Intel right about what's in the Mausoleum?"

There was no answer, as there was no way to know. The Valley Mausoleum wasn't recognized as such per se; it was a nondescript building in the middle of Cairo. Cleverly hidden, maybe – but it was said to contain at stone tablet which held information about the infamous Millennium Items. From today's developments, it seemed that the Mausoleum might contain one of the Items themselves. Without an Item, there was no Shadow Magic … unless it was pre-devised as a trap. Without an actual Millennium Item wielder to determine that, it was impossible to tell for sure.

About then was when Anzu cocked her head. Her chest clicked electronically again, the sound of a billion bit switches going off as she processed information. "Oh my god," she breathed. "Yes. Yes. Other. Accepted. Cryptograph 342212838 one-one-one-zero-_ksssssssssshshs—_" The sounds that issued from her mouth were like the phone modems from years previous.

Then a different voice emerged from her unmoving lips. "Jonouchi-kun? Honda-kun?"

Jonouchi and Honda both gaped, open-mouthed at the ANZU unit. _"Yuugi!?_" they said in tandem.

Yuugi Mutou was the possessor of the Millennium Puzzle. Some six years ago – less than nine months after he had completed the Item, which had come to him in pieces and had required nearly eight years of nightly work to assemble – he had disappeared from his bed overnight, gone without a trace. Days later, things had started to _change_, but hide nor hair of Yuugi Mutou had never been seen again.

And now, here he was, talking to them through an android designed to look like his one-time only friend.

"Hi," said Yuugi's voice, sounding weary.

Jonouchi and Honda exchanged glances, speechless. "Shit," Jonouchi breathed. "Shit, Yuug', we—"

"Thank god you're alive—" Honda tripped over Jonouchi's words.

"I don't know if I am or not," Yuugi said, stopping their excitement in their tracks. "I-I don't know. He's been _kksshh_ but even this is going to be really dan_g-g-kksh-nnnn_ I mean to say, I don't know what you two are doing, but stay away f-f-f_rmmmm-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_"

Honda and Jonouchi stuffed their fingers in their ears at the electronic, ear-piercing shriek. The connection closed with an audible click, and Anzu's mouth snapped shut. "Oh god," she whispered, her hands flying to her mouth.

Honda and Jonouchi slowly removed their fingers from their ears. "What the hell was that!?" Jonouchi demanded.

"I don't know." Anzu spoke through her fingers. "I don't … I accepted the transmission from … I don't know. The data bank has been erased."

"You started talking in _binary,_" Honda said with emphasis. That was usually a sign of a malfunction. "Do you have the transmission record still, at least?"

Anzu bit her lip. "Yes," she said after a moment's hesitation.

"I have a hunch," Honda told her. "Play back with EVP isolation."

Jonouchi still wasn't entirely certain how Honda could approach the ANZU unit with such a clinical eye, but the android did as told. Electronic Voice Phenomenon, once part of ghost stories for late-night television viewing, was now a much more common occurrence for one reason or another. Telephones in various regions – including Cairo – had been rendered all but useless by the phenomenon. Cell phones would shriek in the user's ears, static contained voices that drove men crazy, and whispers would echo underneath conversations being held.

"I don't know if I am or not," Yuugi's voice said. "I-I don't know. He's been _WILL B-B-B-BREAK CRUSHHHHH _this is going to b_ (aibou) _dang _one one one zero _know what you two are doing, but _kabakaba SWALLOW BIT BY BIT no … solve the PuzzleEAAAUUUUGH—"_

Anzu's mouth clicked shut again. "… That's it," she murmured. "There are three voices on the recording."

"Really?" Jonouchi licked his lips. The voice that had whispered between the yelling and the broken transmission had sounded like Yuugi again, more ethereal. He hated EVPs … they gave him the creeps. He'd never liked haunted stuff. "It sounded like Yuugi was giving two transmissions at once, one EVP." Which was a horrific thought, really.

"No. The second voice is pitched differently. I don't know which one is Yuugi, though." Anzu hesitated.

Honda bowed easily to Anzu's assessment; being an android and the vessel of the cryptic transmission, she was in a better position to know whose voice was pitched how. "But who was the one talking about all the crushing and swallowing and stuff?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Anzu said softly.

"… I think we need to take this to Kaiba," Jonouchi said grudgingly.

_Ende chapter 1_

_Reviews endlessly appreciated! I will try to be good and reply to every review I get. Thank you!_


	2. The Hidden Game

_Thank you for the lovely reviews! I will be replying to them tonight, although I hope that this chapter answers at least a few questions ... if not all of them. D Onwards!_

**Chapter 2: The Hidden Game**

He should have been Pharaoh, but this was … actually, it was a lot more glorious.

Once there hadn't been much to the civilized world. There was Egypt, and then there were barbarians. The Israelites rose and fell; Babylon became great, then cannibalized itself. It was not until the Greeks that Egypt found its greatness challenged and finally fell.

Now, he was born into a world where the edges of the globe had been explored. The mysteries of the world had been unraveled. The nations had covered the Earth and the people had multiplied.

It was ripe.

&

_Click._

_Click. Click click._

_Cli—_

"Mutou!"

The spiky-haired youth shot off of his bed as if electrified, spinning to face the door with his body between the entrance and his dresser. He narrowed his eyes at the intruder. "What?" he demanded.

The interruption came in the form of a tall, built Egyptian. Hieroglyphics were carved into the side of his face in what could have been nothing but a most painful ritual. He stepped into the room more fully, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "You still have it," he murmured, waving his hands at the scattered items on the desk. Mutou looked back at the desk guiltily, and Rishid (for that was the Egyptian's name) felt a distant sympathy for the boy. His eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep; he was narrow by build, but a little too thin, his joints all sharp angles. "You should just give it back," Rishid continued. "You torture yourself with that thing whenever it is given to you. You know that it will be taken from you when—"

"It is not a 'thing'," Mutou replied in a quiet voice, "And I cannot help it." His fingers clenched around an irregular golden trinket trapped in his hand. "Why are you here?"

"Malik wants you," Rishid replied obediently, inclining his head slightly. "He asked that I escort you."

"Don't use niceties," Mutou said with a sigh, putting down the item. "It was an order. I'm coming." He turned back to the dresser, sweeping the scattered gold into a golden box emblazoned with the Eye of Wadjet. This he placed on his dresser-cum-desk at its perfect center with a loving, reverent air before picking up two other golden trinkets from the bed and turning to follow Rishid from his room. The door locked itself behind them; Rishid bore a key. Mutou did not.

Rishid led the way. Quicker, lighter steps told him Mutou was following. Mutou was doomed to forever be short, and he had to nearly trot to keep up with Rishid's set pace. Still, he did not slow. The walk was not a long one. At the door, Rishid again inclined his head and stepped aside to allow Mutou entrance, but did not enter himself.

Rishid had not seen his brother Malik's face for nearly three years.

&

Malik's 'office', as it were, was spacious. Floor-to-ceiling windows were tinted to prevent onlookers from seeing in, but Malik was able to look out upon the slow rebuilding process of the Capitol and the oddly crystalline Reflection Pool in the midst of torn-up, deadened grass. The office itself was filled with Egyptian regalia, but the real treasures were hidden away. Malik was draped in a swivel chair, one leg over an armrest and leaning on his elbow.

It interested Malik that Mutou had strapped Ankh symbols across his wrists today. Maybe he sensed what Malik sensed? "Yuugi," he said coolly. "Someone has been playing Dark Games." He made it almost an accusation, a smirk playing at his lips.

Mutou's back was slightly rigid. "No," he said, "they're not."

Malik raised his eyebrow. "You're questioning me?" In truth, he was inclined to go with Mutou's judgment, but he kept his reasons for that to himself. There was sadistic pleasure in making Mutou squirm.

And squirm he did, flinching slightly. "No, of course not," he protested, turning his face away. "I merely—"

"Relax, Yuugi," Malik smirked. "What do you think it is, then? Something is taking souls. Two men were lost in Cairo."

This was clearly news to Mutou, who raised his brows slightly, his eyes going round. "That does sound like a Dark Game," he murmured. "But the Items …"

Of the seven Millennium Items, four were within Malik's control, and one lay shattered – currently in Mutou's room. Two, however, were missing: the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Eye. There were no Shadow Games without the Millennium Items … so this had to be one of the missing ones.

"Is it a game?" Mutou asked, not expecting an answer. "There are rules to a game."

"Originally the Millennium Items were wielded without a Game," Malik reminded Yuugi. "I can do so. So can the others." His lips twitched. "Is that your only reason for believing this is not a Millennium Item at work?"

Mutou met his gaze for a moment before looking away. "No," he said. "A soul can only be removed with a Game, and these are not Games."

This was true, to the best of Malik's knowledge. Mutou made a good point, which made Malik pause in thought. A third party, then? Someone who was imitating the power of the Shadows? There were kings in Egypt after the Nameless Pharaoh who had attempted to recreate that power. "I'm sending you to Cairo," Malik informed him, and Mutou's head jerked around before he bowed his head in acquiesce. "I want you to look into this. You will take Rishid with you. You know the rules." He paused, looking at Yuugi's bowed head. "You leave tomorrow morning. And no."

Yuugi's head moved slightly as his request was denied before he could make it. "… Yes, my Pharaoh," he said in a low voice.

And that, Malik thought, was probably the greatest reward of all.

&

Jonouchi, Anzu, Shizuka, and Honda were staying in a motel on the better side of Cairo. This place had once been the virtual year-round home of tourists and the like, but these days travelers were rarely on pleasure trips. Restaurants had become havens for the homeless and business buildings stood empty.

They met in front of the few remaining bistros. With their weapons stashed and armored clothing hidden away with them, they looked halfway respectable, if a bit dusty. Jonouchi pulled his sister into a hug the moment he laid eyes on her. "Shit, it's good to see you're okay," he mumbled, relieved.

"Brother," Shizuka murmured. "It's all right."

"There was Shadow Magic," Jonouchi protested. "And I've got rights as an older brother! I can worry about you no matter what!"

"The Magic helped, actually," Shizuka said primly. "Otogi-kun is going to be all right because of it. I was able to call the Mystic—"

"Shh," Honda whispered, pressing a finger to her mouth. "Later." He motioned for them to all go towards the motel. When Jonouchi reached their room, however, he opened the door to a headful of white hair.

"Bakura!"

The young man looked up at them, filling the doorway with his narrow frame. He was neither tall nor large, but the sneer on his face was enough to forbid access. Jonouchi put up his fists. "What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Russia got boring," the white-haired man smirked. "You should really invest in better locks, if you're going to be here long."

"There's nothing of value with us," Honda informed the thief flatly. "Let us in."

"After you," Bakura mocked, bowing them in.

Anzu took up the rear, and when everyone else had entered, she and Bakura sized one another up for a moment. "You don't scare me," Bakura told her.

"I ought to," Anzu said loftily. "I don't have a soul to banish and I could break your body in half."

"I'd rip open your circuitry before you had a chance," Bakura snapped back, shutting the door behind her. "In any case, you need my help."

"As much as you need ours," Honda agreed, crossing his arms and standing by the bed. "Talk to us."

"Well, I was sorry to see your little operation go south," Bakura opened, starting to pace the length of the cramped room. It was really too tiny for four people, let alone five. Even if one didn't need to sleep per se. "I can't help but think you really need someone with a bit more _finesse_ if you want a look at that tablet. Oh yes," he said, smirking, when Jonouchi opened his mouth. "I know exactly what you're after. I'd like a little gander myself, at some point."

"Are you volunteering to go after the tablet? 'Cause if you are, you can just hurry up and get to the damn point," Jonouchi grumbled, his arm around his little sister as they said side-by-side on the bed. "We've got shit to deal with." He was still preoccupied with the voice of Yuugi issuing from Anzu's mouth.

"I am," Bakura agreed. "But I want some kickback for it. This isn't going to be a field trip, especially with Shadow Magic – or what looks like it – bouncing around."

"Where on earth do you get all this information?" Anzu wanted to know, her hands raised in exasperation.

"Sources," Bakura smirked, showing his teeth. "But while we're on the subject of Shadow Magic, let me give you a little free information." The thief reached down the collar of his t-shirt and pulled out the Millennium Ring.

This was the only Millennium Item that Jonouchi and Honda had personally laid eyes on besides the Puzzle. It was simple enough, emblazoned with the Eye of Wadjet and outfitted with five pointers. The pointers were vibrating slightly.

"That block of Cairo and the building is absolutely _drenched_ in magic," Bakura said, "but I can't say it's Shadow Magic. It's a little more … hmm. Focused? In any case, even the Ring can't get a bead on it. It's not caused by an Item. Much to my disappointment."

"Then why do you want to get involved?" Honda wanted to know. It was common knowledge amongst the small band that Bakura's occasional appearances were for possible Millennium Items.

"For the money, of course," Bakura sneered. "Tell Kaiba I want a quarter million in American dollars, and I'll get him the information off the tablet." Even with recent world events, the dollar remained one of the most stable forms of currency in the world.

"That's steep," Anzu murmured.

"Not too steep for dear _Set_," Bakura shot back. "He wants the information, he'll pay. It's not like he doesn't waste his money on enough enterprises."

All eyes turned to Anzu at that moment, who was sitting perfectly still. It was a minute or two before she spoke, and not in her own voice. "Done," said Kaiba's voice. "It's been sent to the usual place."

"Lucky for you I don't need to verify," Bakura grinned at the android. "Expect to hear back from me in thirty-six hours." He sailed from the room, humming something tuneless and vaguely haunting.

"Is that all?" Kaiba asked dryly.

"Actually," Jonouchi started, gaining a startled look from the up-to-now silent Shizuka.

"Stay on the line," Honda interrupted. "We've got something we want you to hear."

_Ende Chapter 2_

_As always, reviews are appreciated! Thank you for reading._


	3. Lines In the Sand

_Thank you, olesia.love, for your lovely reply to the last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one as much._

**Chapter 3: Lines in the Sand**

It was Rishid's fault that they almost didn't make their flight. Tall, imposing, and clearly of Middle-Eastern bloodlines, getting on the plane at Dulles International proved difficult. September 11th, 2001 was a disastrous day in America – the Capitol, the Pentagon, and both of the World Trade Centers going up in flames - and the new Congress that had convened had no qualms about racially profiling the passengers of its domestic airlines.

Yuugi showed little interest, silent and unnaturally patient as Rishid endured the process. There had been a time when all the investigative machines had made the young man look about in interest, but that time had passed long ago.

Now he was asleep in his seat, his brows drawn down even while unconscious. Rishid left him be, closing his own eyes. He was personally relieved that Malik had refused to let Mutou bring along the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle; if it had been allowed, even now he would be hunched over it, desperately attempting to put the thing together. Rishid knew he must have solved it once before – how else could he have worn its complete form around his neck when they first met? – but someone had shattered it, and now the solution seemed to elude the boy. When they got back, it was doubtful that Mutou would be allowed to keep the Puzzle any longer.

Allowing Mutou to have the Puzzle pieces was a 'reward' Malik offered, Rishid knew; he tantalized Yuugi with the opportunity to re-solve the Puzzle. It seemed to him that since the Puzzle had been shattered nearly six years ago, Mutou had spent much of his time wandering around in a daze, his thoughts only ever really with the artifact. Did it really have such a strong power? But asking Mutou about it was useless; the brash young man would dismiss the question, or meet Rishid's gaze with cold eyes and say, "It is my most precious thing." His tone always forbade any further discussion on the matter.

Yuugi was generally difficult to talk to. Rishid could technically have ordered the young man to answer any questions he had, but despite his captive situation, Rishid respected Mutou. He was the only person who could, without physical contact with a Millennium Item, both initiate Shadow Games and sense Shadow Magic. As such he was quite an asset – an ace up Malik's sleeve as Rishid's brother sought an ancient title.

Rishid spared a glance for the young man again. He murmured something in his sleep and shifted, his scowl deepening for a moment before clearing away entirely. A good dream?

For his sake, Rishid hoped so.

&

"I-I don't know. He's been _WILL B-B-B-BREAK CRUSHHHHH _this is going to b_ (aibou) _dang _one one one zero _know what you two are doing, but _kabakaba SWALLOW BIT BY BIT no … solve the PuzzleEAAAUUUUGH—"_

Kaiba scowled as he listened to the EVP recording, his computers analyzing the sounds more thoroughly than the ANZU unit that had accepted the message could hope to. The returns were a little unexpected, and he informed his Cairo team of as much. "Hn," he said. "The computer is picking up three voices."

"That's what I said," the ANZU unit replied over the wireless connection.

"Is it Yuugi?" the mutt wanted to know. Kaiba still thought of Jonouchi as a common dog to some degree, but even he had been forced to admit that Jonouchi was a good strategist when he tried and had almost ungodly luck.

"It _sounds_ like him," Kaiba answered. His frown deepened as he asked for another analysis. There had been a time when Seto Kaiba would not have believed in EVPs as anything other than a ghost tale, but now he had reason to trust otherwise. "I don't have a voice bank of Mutou to compare the voices to. Shut up for a minute and let me work."

"Jerk," Jonouchi muttered before giving a wordless squawk.

"Ignore my brother." This was Shizuka Jonouchi. "We're patient."

"Some of you are," Seto muttered as data popped up. "… Oho."

"What? What is it?" the ANZU sounded eager.

"All three voices … they're all EVPs." Seto raised an eyebrow. "The call your ANZU received – it shouldn't have come through. According to this, there was no caller. There were no physical voices. All three voices were productions of spirits."

This got Kaiba no reply for several moments. Finally, the ANZU spoke. "Acknowledged," it said distantly, an automatic relay rather than a real reply.

"What does that mean?" Honda asked, his voice a little stiff.

"Who knows for sure?" Seto shrugged and leaned forward on his elbows, lacing his fingers under his nose. "Probably it means that Mutou is soulless, or dead."

"Don't even say that!" Jonouchi roared.

"Shut your trap, mutt. I'm not the enemy," Seto snarled back. "You're better off analyzing what the EVP means rather than shouting ineffectual things at me."

He could hear the scuffle distantly – probably Jonouchi getting physical, and being held back. It was Shizuka who spoke up. "What do you think it means?" she asked.

"I don't know. 'Solve the Puzzle' – the Millennium Puzzle, probably? But that was already solved," Kaiba mused. "Spirits rarely say directly what they mean. It sounded like Mutou was trying to issue you a warning, but the rest ..." He closed his eyes. "The third voice sounds inhuman."

"That's what I thought," Shizuka replied. "A Shadow Realm spirit, that was the first thing that came to mind."

"So there is an intelligent mind in the House Jonouchi," Seto smirked. "I agree. I understand you encountered some Shadow Magic today … it's possible that leaked something. Or the spirit may be wherever your EVP recording came from."

"Would it be possible to trace?" ANZU asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Seto replied. He opened his eyes again and glared at the screen. "For now, this isn't a priority in any case. Watch your backs and lay low," he directed. "If there's any further Shadow activity, I want you to notify me immediately. _Immediately_," he reiterated.

"Acknowledged," the ANZU replied, taking the command and storing it. "You sound like you're going to do something."

"Nothing I'm sharing over this connection," Kaiba replied. "See to yourselves." He shut off the connection and set up the computer to run a series of tests on the EVP. A sub-set routine would automatically search the worldwide web for information that might relate to the EVP's subject material, although it was too general for Kaiba to hope for any useful results.

While Seto was beyond rich enough to afford the thief Bakura his asking price, it was too low for the thief. Given what Seto had already sacrificed to get the information, Bakura should have known he could ask for more and receive it. Clearly, the bearer of the Millennium Ring had some other ulterior motive for going after the tablet.

Given that, it was probably time for Seto to make his appearance. Where there was Bakura, there was almost always Millennium Items involved in a direct way – and Seto wasn't just referring to the Ring. Besides, it was best to not give away too much information to the thief, who would shamelessly play all sides of this little sub-war.

Seto withdrew from the computer room and started for the centermost, most protected room in the entire complex that he called home these days. Located in Australia – the most stable country due to its relative isolation from world affairs – Seto managed nearly everything for his company from here. However, there were things more dear to his heart than just his hard-earned Kaiba Corporation.

In the secured room, Seto went to his younger brother's side.

Mokuba Kaiba lay on a bed, his eyes closed. Every day a physical therapist came and worked Mokuba's legs and arms for him, keeping his muscles from atrophying, and a doctor checked his support systems twice a day. Kaiba could do all this himself as well, but not today. He sat beside his sleeping brother and clasped his hand tightly.

_I will get you back, Mokuba._

Seto sat like that for several minutes, watching his brother's pallid face, but there wasn't so much as a twitch – as always. Mokuba's soul was gone, stolen by the Millennium Items, and Seto would not rest until he got it back.

He turned to the padlocked nightstand and undid the lock, removing a three-jeweled pendant from the drawer. This he placed around his neck before once again tightly squeezing Mokuba's hand.

"I'll be back in three days," he informed his brother's body. "Wait for me." And with that, he swept from the room.

&

It was closing in on three o'clock in the morning. Bakura settled himself on the roof of the building by the so-called 'Mausoleum' to wait for his opportunity to strike.

_This looks like Ghouls, _he thought to himself absently, toying with the necklace that the Millennium Ring hung from as he watched the guards mill about. Like some of Seto Kaiba's little groups of forces, the Ghouls were a portion of the NO that were specially trained to use Shadow Magic to their advantage. Shadow Magic, after all, operated by a few weird rules, none of which could easily be explained or put to paper – if the users had ever really wanted to share, anyway.

But why have Ghouls here? Bakura's fingers strayed over the sharp pointers hanging from the Ring, which vibrated but didn't move otherwise. There was no Millennium Item except Bakura's own, and without Shadow Magic, Ghouls were simply more useless foot soldiers.

Bakura didn't need Shadow Magic to get in – he just needed stealth.

The NO – or New Order – was a highly militant group centered in the Middle East. A subset of other terrorist organizations, they believed that the successful attack on the United States, the earthquake in India, the tidal wave that had wiped out a huge chunk of the population in Japan, and the gradual collapse of the EU - coupled with the upped rate of spiritual phenomenon - were signs that God himself was returning – or some such drivel, as far as Bakura was concerned. The NO, however, was not precisely Muslim. They believed the vessel of God would be an ancient, nameless Pharaoh returned to Earth.

Bakura found this somewhat funny, but then, he wasn't much of one for political affairs. He cared only for the Millennium Items and the power that they sealed. He was one of the few who had seen the Shrine at Kul Elna; he wanted the power. But first, to see this tablet … perhaps there would be more information.

It was true that the face of the world was changing, but then, all the Millennium Items were loose again. And now, this other power: not quite Shadow Realm magic, and yet quite similar. It worried Bakura. Shadow Games he could do, but this was something to be concerned over.

The ground shuddered slightly. A tremor? Bakura frowned; that didn't make much sense. But the guards were duly distracted; now was his chance.

&

In one of the labyrinthine paths in underground Cairo, Jonouchi set another blast. They guessed that they were near to the Mausoleum. "I think that last one got their attention!" he grinned to Honda. "One more, and then we run. That should keep them distracted long enough to let Bakura in easy."

"Just – just don't bury us," Honda warned, grimacing.

"Who's the demolitions expert here? Don't you worry your pretty little head, Honda." Jonouchi ushered Honda a ways down the hall and reached for the remote. "Banzai!"

&

Rishid stumbled when the building trembled on its foundations. In front of him, Mutou staggered several steps and pressed his hand to the wall to regain his balance. He looked up at Rishid with widened eyes. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Rishid replied, his voice low. "Did you sense—"

"Nothing," Yuugi replied immediately. He looked down the hall, but the second tremor sent him to his knees.

They had arrived in Egypt only hours before. Mutou had slept almost the entire way. Rishid had been grateful; the spiky-haired youth had been quietly petrified the first time he had flown, and he had never quite relaxed into a plane ride. Exhaustion was the only thing that could keep him from constantly getting to his feet and pacing the aisle, or sitting hunched in his seat gripping the armrests. That, or having the Puzzle pieces with him.

As a result, although it was late, Mutou had been ready to go. Rishid had wanted to sleep, but Mutou had a vested interest in getting his business in Cairo done as quickly as possible, and he had insisted in going straight to the NOs Mausoleum upon their arrival. Rishid had allowed this, as there was unlikely to be any activity now, barely 24 hours after the attack on the remote base.

Malik's one order was that Mutou not be allowed into the room where the two relics that Malik kept here resided. Rishid could guess the reason, but as he had never laid eyes on the stone tablets within, he could not be sure. He followed Malik's orders, and as he trailed Yuugi around the complex, he did not allow the young man onto even the same floor as the relics.

If Yuugi noticed this, he gave no indication. He traced his way through the building, pausing from time to time before shaking his head. Most of the rooms were filled with artifacts of various value, and a few offices. Guards were everywhere, although Rishid had them clear out in the face of Mutou's investigation. Still, he had found nothing indicating a Shadow Game had been played here. Rishid hoped they could put off the investigation of the surrounding streets until morning.

Now Rishid started forward, but Mutou held up a hand, getting back to his feet on his own. His eyes were not on Rishid now; they had narrowed, and he was looking upwards. "…"

Rishid wanted to ask what had Mutou's attention, but before he could react, the young man whipped past him, backtracking. Rishid went to follow. "Wait!" he ordered, but the shout fell on deaf ears, and Rishid's exhaustion was catching up with him. He caught a glimpse of spiky hair as the young man flew around the corner and up the stairs.

"Mutou! Stop!" Rishid called as he reached the stairwell, but again Yuugi did not respond, nor did his rapid, light footsteps slow. Rishid heard the bang of a door as Yuugi left the stairwell, and Rishid knew he had truly lost his charge.

This _would_ be reported to Malik, either by Rishid himself or by one of the Ghouls here. Rishid was not so foolish as to think his brother did not have spies inside his own building. Things would not go well upon their return – for either of them.

&

'Yuugi Mutou' paid no attention as Rishid shouted at him, following what he sensed. His breath came in pants; he was in better shape than he had once been, but his endurance was still low.

A Millennium Item had entered the building. Yuugi had felt it between tremors, somewhere high up, and now he followed it. He had allowed an Item to slip through his grasp once before, but not again; the sooner Malik had all the Items, the sooner 'Yuugi' would be allowed to finally keep the Puzzle long enough to solve it.

On the second-highest floor of the building, Yuugi was almost bowled over by the force of his sense of the Item. There was chaos here, and Yuugi was actually thrown to the ground by several uniformed NOs shoving their way past him to the stairwells. There was no audible alarm or any visible security measures, but likely there were hidden ones in place; besides, 'Yuugi' knew that this was not where the truly valuble items this building housed were kept. That room – which was somewhere on the third floor, the only floor Yuugi had not been allowed on – would be the only one under true lockdown.

'Yuugi' did not think about these things as he got back to his feet, no worse for the wear. He was easy to overlook despite his hair, and he wanted to know where—

_There!_ Yuugi saw a flash of white, and he straightened, doing his best to fill the entire hallway with his slight frame. "Come out!" he commanded in Arabic. "Millennium Item Bearer! The only way to what you seek is through me."

There was a moment of silence, and then barking laughter came to Yuugi in the eerily silent hall. "Oho! You want to challenge me, midget?" A heedful of white hair emerged from a room, his clothes black and concealing – but this close, with eye contact, Yuugi could all but see the Millennium Ring pulsing through his clothes.

The would-be thief folded his arms over his chest. He wasn't much taller than Yuugi, but it was enough to look down at him. "Hah! Who are you? I've never seen you before."

"I could ask the same of you, Millennium Item Bearer," Yuugi said coolly. "It's rude to trespass."

"And what's it to you? If you know I carry a Millennium Item, then you should know I could leave you an empty shell at any moment."

"Not quite," Yuugi smirked, feeling darkness welling within him. For that moment, he was more alive than he ever was, filling himself to the brim with Shadows and releasing them. "As a Bearer you should know the rules: souls cannot be taken without a Shadow Game. And I challenge you to a Shadow Game right now!"

The thief stared as the hall turned dark and twisted, his eyes wide. It was clear he knew what Yuugi was doing. "How," he muttered, "… without a Millennium Item …?"

"Do you accept?" Yuugi asked, crossing his arms and smirking confidently. This was his element. This was what he was made to do.

The thief threw back his head suddenly and laughed again. It sounded insane. "A Shadow Game! All right, I agree," he sneered. "At least this will be interesting, little pawn."

"Indeed," Yuugi murmured, anticipation in his eyes. "Let's start!"

_Ende chapter 3_

_Reviews loved and appreciated!_


	4. Soul Truth

**Chapter 4: Soul Truth**

Bakura sized up the narrow figure before him, who looked like a strong breeze could probably knock him over. His hair rivaled Bakura's own for insanity, however, and he managed to somehow give the impression of looking _down_ on the thief even though his neck was slightly craned upwards to look Bakura in the eye.

More importantly, he was initiating a Shadow Game, and there was no Item on him. That shouldn't have been possible! The hallway seemed to twist in Bakura's eyes, stretching infinitely in either direction, and he knew they were standing in the Shadow Realm.

Was this boy a Ghoul? If so, he had managed to wrest control of the Ring away from under Bakura's nose and use it to his advantage in a way no one should have been able to. Without an Item to protect him, the boy would definitely feel the strain of this Realm rapidly. Bakura grit his teeth, but he kept his smirk plastered on his face even as he reached for the tattoo emblazoned across his side and into his shoulder. "Dia—"

"The rules are simple," the young man interrupted him. "We'll play with dice." He drew his hand out of his pocket and held up two dice, one six-sided and one ten-sided.

What kind of a Shadow Game was this? Bakura withdrew his hand from his tattoo carefully, and the spiky-haired challenger smiled. It should have been a friendly smile, but there was a horrible edge to it.

As if reading his mind, the boy started to crouch. "Not all games are won with might, Millennium Item Bearer. But I guess you know that, as a thief." He held out the ten-sided die with two fingers, inviting Bakura to crouch with him. "You can roll this die. I will roll the six-sided die. Whomever rolls a higher number wins, although if we tie, I will win."

"… You're giving me a huge advantage!" Bakura smirked.

"Not as huge as it looks," the young man replied, waving a finger in admonition. Bakura chafed at that, gritting his teeth. "If I win, you will give me your Millennium Item."

Bakura gaped again, this time at the high stakes. "You expect me to bet my Item on a dice game!?"

"You can still back out at this point," the boy replied. "But your soul will be forfeit, since you accepted my challenge."

"Fine!" Bakura grumbled; he knew the rules, and unfortunately, allowing this kid to be the challenger meant that the boy could set all the terms. "If I win, however, I get your soul. It's only fair, since you're asking so much."

The boy nodded, showing no fear. "Fair enough. The final rule is, if you cheat, you will suffer a Penalty Game." He paused, letting this sink in. "Since the dice are mine, I expect you will want to examine them." He deposited the six-sided die in Bakura's hand.

Bakura rolled the dice around in his palm and examined the surrounding area. The challenger had said nothing about throwing dice up against a wall, which was the usual way to insure that there was no cheating. He could feel no counterweight in the dice. He rolled them twice to be on the safe side; no, they really were fair.

The advantage was easily Bakura's, but then, he had never seen a ten-sided die before. He held it up for a moment, looking it over, which was when he realized why his 'advantage' wasn't as great as he'd thought. The ten-sided die did not hold the numbers one through ten as he expected, but rather the numbers zero through nine! Should Bakura roll a zero, he would have no chance of winning; should he roll a one through six, he would have half a chance, and seven through nine meant a definite win. Also, interestingly, all the higher numbers were on one side of the diamond-shaped die. _Hmm …_

"Who will roll first?" the young man asked, picking up the six-sided die.

"Let's roll at the same time," Bakura proposed, seeing a chance. "And the best two out of three, if that's all right. The stakes are high, so one roll makes me nervous."

The boy looked up at him through his bangs, his gaze piercing. "Agreed," he murmured. "Roll!"

The boy threw his die and Bakura 'threw' his, rolling the die across his fingers. As he hoped, the die spun on its axis, twirling for a little ways. It wasn't a surefire way to win, but with the numbers five through nine on the upper part of the die, his chances were much better.

The six-sided die stopped first, being heavier by design. "Ah, a five," the boy murmured, but it wasn't enough; the ten-sided die stopped on eight.

"The first roll is mine," Bakura grinned. "If I win the next round, this game is over!"

"We'll see," the young man replied, and to Bakura's surprise, a smirk flitted across his face. "Roll!"

Again Bakura threw his die so it would spin – but this time, the young man's die slammed into his, sending them both skittering across the floor. "Hey!" Bakura snapped, but the boy had set no rule against knocking their dice against one another's.

"I win this time," the young man said, pointing at the dice. The ten-sided die had landed on three; the six-sided die read four. Bakura grit his teeth, picking up his die, but the challenger continued. "The thing about Shadow Games," he said softly, that little smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth again, "is that they reveal what is in the depths of your soul. With high stakes, humans become desperate. The darkness in them sometimes overtakes them."

"Save me the speech," Bakura snapped. "Roll!"

The boy licked his lips and opened his mouth. "I'm trying to—"

"Roll!" Bakura cut him off, again tossing the die in the same fashion as before. The boy shrugged and did the same. Bakura's die stopped on six – not as good as he'd hoped for, but his chances were still high! – but he froze when he saw the young man's die vibrating to a stop.

Six.

"What!?" Bakura gasped, but the boy was already standing.

"I was trying to warn you," the boy said, his voice darker and somehow deeper than before. Bakura's eyes grew wide when the eye of Horus suddenly opened on his forehead, glowing brightly like a beacon into Bakura's heart. "I was trying to warn you not to cheat!"

"How did I cheat!?" Bakura demanded, gritting his teeth. He wanted to stand, but somehow he couldn't.

"A classic trick, to spin the die so that the higher numbers are on 'top'," the young man answered, holding out his hand. "But since you didn't heed my warning, I not only win the game, but also inflict you with your penalty. You have trespassed, quite literally. Penalty Game! Eternal Darkness!"

Quite suddenly, all the lights in the building went out.

Bakura screamed in frustration more than fear, pushed from his body as if shoved by an invisible hand to the chest. "Not again," he growled, the cave-like darkness pressing in on him. "I will not suffer this again!"

&

The thief collapsed at Yuugi's feet.

Yuugi pressed his lips together, the Shadows around him withdrawing back into his body. His heart was racing; much longer and his own body would have given out. Without the Puzzle, it was difficult to maintain the shadows. Still … he reached down to claim his prize.

_Pharaoh_

Yuugi froze as on the tail end of his withdraw, he heard a voice, deep within his heart. For a moment, he hoped—but no, it couldn't be. This voice was different.

Like a pulse, it came again. _Pharaoh._

"You've mistaken me," he murmured, shadows flickering around his body. "I am not—"

The call pulled at him, made his fingers twitch. He could almost sense where it came from. He reached out, briefly, a tendril of Darkness.

The Shadows snapped back like a rubber band, and Yuugi was thrown against the wall. The Shadows drained out of him. Yuugi slid to the ground, clutching his chest and sweating. He could not wield the Shadows outside of a Game, and they reminded him violently.

Gasping for breath, Yuugi struggled back to his feet. He had to take the Ring with him or this would all be for naught. Again, he reached for the thief …

Who was slowly pushing back to his knees. He blinked groggily up at Yuugi, who blinked back, his eyes wide. The Darkness should not have released the thief until his heart was cleansed. How could he be sitting up on his own?

The thief spoke in English. "Where am I?" he asked, rubbing his head and looking around. "Ah, such a headache …" his eyes went to Yuugi.

Yuugi's English was broken at best. He was usually in America, but he rarely spent time out of the complex, and there they spoke only Arabic. "Who are you?" he asked, a thought gripping him.

"Ryou Bakura," the boy answered, looking bewildered. "Oh no … I'm someplace I shouldn't be, aren't I? Oh no!"

"Ryou," Yuugi said quickly, "Do you speak Arabic?"

"Y-yes," Ryou gasped, words coming slowly in the language. "Don't tell me I'm in the Middle East!"

"You are," Yuugi replied, his voice grim. "Cairo, in Egypt. Come with me; the others will not be so kind." _I would not be so kind, except that I suspect what has happened to you!_

"Who are you?" Ryou asked, letting Yuugi help him to his feet.

"Never mind," Yuugi answered. "All your questions will be answered when we are out of this building!" _As will mine!_

&

Rishid watched this exchange in silence, hiding in the shadowed corner near the stairwell. He let Mutou take the thief, Ryou, with him towards the exit, and followed silently. He would not interfere until it was necessary.

&

In the midst of the relative chaos, one Ghoul stalked his way down a hall on the third floor. He was near the room with the highest security, but wearing the full cloaked uniform of a Ghoul, no one questioned him. It wasn't until he reached the key-card activated door that a hand stayed him, two Ghouls with their faces hidden blocking his way. "No one may enter here without Shadi," one said.

The first Ghoul grit his teeth. "Shadi is occupied," he said flatly. "Can you not feel the Shadows upstairs? There is a Millennium Item in the building, and it is in active use!"

The Ghouls looked at one another. "Rishid has ordered us to stay away from that conflict," one said.

The other nodded. "Shadi is not part of it."

The first Ghoul was silent for a moment before smirking. "I believe you are probably correct," he observed. "After all, the one with the Item has the Ring, no doubt – and since he's otherwise occupied, I will be the one entering! _Blue Eyes White Dragon, come forth!_"

Before the other Ghouls could act, the first Ghoul attacked them, his great Dragon knocking them to the ground with its very breath. Their heads were crushed within minutes.

"You know, your uniforms are incredibly impractical," Seto Kaiba laughed, throwing back the head of his cloak. "You trust too much. You should be able to see one another's faces!"

With that, he set about cracking the code on the key-card pad, eager to see the secrets that lay within.

_Chapter 4 Ende_

_Thanks to Peach Wookiee, olesia.love, and Talia Ali for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far. Hopefully it will remain just as intriguing as ever!_

_Reviews are loved and responded to._


	5. The Two Tablets

_Thanks to Shamise and olesia.love for their replies to chapter 4! And the excitement continues …_

**Chapter 5: The Two Tablets**

There was a false dawn in the eastern sky when Yuugi and Ryou burst out of the building on the ground floor. In the dimness the two loped down the street and into an alleyway, where both paused to rest – Yuugi breathing harder than his companion.

"Are you all right?" Ryou asked worriedly, kneeling by Yuugi. The smaller man waved him off, pressing a hand to his chest.

"I just need a moment," he replied, willing his heart to slow. He drew a deep, slow breath and let it out. "All right."

"Who are you?" Ryou asked again as the silence stretched.

"No one important. I mean you no harm," Yuugi answered. "More importantly, I have a question for you: how long have you had the Millennium Ring?"

Ryou's mouth dropped open. "How did you—"

"Inside you is another you," Yuugi interrupted, poking Ryou gently in the chest. "That you is different from the regular you. I am willing to guess that he first appeared after you obtained the Ring."

Ryou stared at Yuugi, his hand absently coming up to rub the spot Yuugi had poked. "I-I don't know about another 'me'," he murmured, his fingers sliding down his chest to grip against something under his shirt. "But I started to black out after I got the Ring, yes. I would move from place to place even then, and like now – I'm waking up someplace far away from where I started." His eyes were haunted. "The last place I remember is Russia … and I don't know how I got there, either."

Yuugi closed his eyes, his brows drawn down and his lips pressed tight together – a miserable look. It passed after a moment. "Why do you still carry the Ring?"

Ryou chewed his lip. "It was a gift from my father … I-I … are you saying this is definitely the fault of the Millennium Ring?"

"I don't know," Yuugi answered honestly. "I suspect there is something about the Items that … never mind. Ryou, would you say the Ring is healthy for you to carry?"

"I don't know how you can ask that," Ryou said, his voice hurt.

"You are the one that associates your blackouts with the Ring," Yuugi pressed. "In your words, you started to black out 'after you got the Ring'. I shall tell you, since you don't seem to know: while we were in that building, I met a 'you' that is different from the one I am talking to now. He was a thief, and he came to that building"—he pointed—"to steal information from my—employers." He stumbled on the last word. "Are you a thief, Ryou?"

Ryou glared at him. "No, of course not!"

"Then that was another 'you'." Yuugi reached up to grip Ryou's shoulders. "Do you understand? Inside you there is – was – another consciousness. I banished that one to the Shadows, but he will be back. Do you understand what I am talking about?"

"Shadow Magic?" Ryou ventured, looking overwhelmed. "I – yes, I somewhat—I have heard of Shadow Magic," he managed. "I only recently found out the Ring I carry is one of the lost Items, though. Are you saying you took … _my_ soul, in a way? How?" Ryou's fingers dug deeper against his skin. "I don't know much, but the Ring, I think it points to other Items sometimes. You don't have one, do you?"

"Not on me, no." Yuugi licked his lips. "And I didn't take your soul – I took the soul of the 'other you'." He visibly grit his teeth. "My situation is not unlike yours. Ryou, do you want the blackouts to stop?"

To Yuugi's surprise, Ryou didn't answer right away. "I … you want to take the Ring, don't you?"

Yuugi looked as if he'd been punched in the gut for a moment. "… Yes."

Ryou scowled. "No matter what, it is an artifact that my father gave me. I can't just give it to you. You said you sent away the other 'me', so the blackouts should stop anyway, right?"

Yuugi's lips thinned. He had won the Item, but it seemed now that he had won it not from the _owner_, but from the _denizen_ of the Ring. If such a line could be drawn between the first personality and the personality that the Ring gifted him with … "I will pay you for it – twice its weight in gold." Pharaoh Malik was going to skin him alive for that, but Yuugi was not going to Shadow Game this innocent into turning over the Ring … not even if—

"It's priceless to me," Ryou said quietly. "I-I'm sure you understand, if you have your own Item. No matter how much trouble it brings …"

"Foolish," Yuugi barked in frustration. He spun away, temptation growing behind his eyes. "Run, Ryou."

"What?"

"_Run._ Before I draw you into a Shadow Game for your Item. _And I do not lose._" His voice grew deeper, weighted with Darkness.

He heard rather than saw Ryou drawing back, then fleeing on his feet.

Yuugi slumped to his knees and banged his fists on the pavement, his head down. He spoke to the air. "Rishid … you can come out."

&

Rishid startled slightly to find that Mutou knew of his presence, but he came forward. "Mutou," was all he said.

"Not even for Yuugi," Mutou muttered. "Not even for him, can I …" He drew a deep breath and sat up on his knees, his gaze never rising. "You didn't stop him."

"Should I have?" Rishid wanted to know.

"I don't know," Mutou muttered. "I had hoped that you would do what I couldn't: take the Ring by force."

Rishid was silent for a moment. "I follow Malik's orders, but I do not support his intentions," he said at length.

Mutou's shoulders stiffened. "The Pharaoh—"

"Is not Pharaoh yet," Rishid replied. He crouched, holding out a hand. "To your feet, Mutou. You and I both need rest. The threat to Malik's treasures has been aver—" He broke off when Mutou looked up at him, his eyes wide and the Horus eye glowing on his forehead.

Yuugi reached out, grabbing Rishid by the collar, and his voice was dark. "You," he said, his voice preternaturally dark again. "You are what I sensed before!"

Rishid was bewildered, his eyes wide. "Mutou, what are you doing!?"

"_You will not have him,_" Mutou snarled, his grip tightening. Shadows seemed to extend around his body, his outline flickering. "Come out, or shall I take your soul in Rishid's place!?"

Rishid opened his mouth to reply, but even as he did, he felt as if he was pushed back from behind his eyes – forced into a world of silence, as if all his senses had been shut off between one moment and the next.

&

The Blue Eyes returned to Kaiba's pendant as he stepped through the door. As the designer of the most advanced security technology in the world, Seto was especially equipped to handle any security devices in his way; this one had been no exception. He shut the door behind himself, feeling the flicker of the Shadow Magic start to fade in his consciousness. No matter; if Kaiba had to fight his way out of here on foot, he was well-equipped to do so. The thief would be joining him soon – or Kaiba would be calling in backup. All he needed were a few well-timed distractions.

The room was dark and rather spacious. Seto groped for his flashlight and switched it on, swinging it around the room. The beam fell across a giant slab of stone, and Kaiba smirked with glee. The very thing!

However, he was disappointed as he drew closer. The slab had one image on it, and one image only; it was huge and clearly carved in the style of the Ancient Egyptians, but oddly enough, it was a Dragon. It was carved in the appearance of a Chinese Dragon, long and sinuous with short, clawed arms and a mouthful of sharp teeth, a mane waving off its back. _How odd._

The Egyptians had limited contact with China. That had been the result of Chinese exploration, which was an effort quickly abandoned. It had also occurred almost a thousand years before the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, which was what Kaiba was interested in. Why would the Mausoleum have something so clearly not associated with the Millennium Items?

The carving shimmered.

Kaiba squinted in the semi-dark. A trick of the light? No; the mane of hair seemed to waft in invisible wind, the jaw moving ever so slightly. Kaiba's three-jeweled pendant, which encased the spirits of the three Blue Eyes White Dragons, began to vibrate slightly. "No," Seto murmured. "It can't be …"

The carving ceased to move. At the same moment, Kaiba's pendant fell still against his collar, and the Shadow Magic in the building withdrew abruptly. Kaiba was left staring at an Egyptian carving of a Chinese Dragon, and oddity but nothing special.

Kaiba's hands were shaking. He turned away from the carving, cursing under his breath. He must have been seeing things. The only other explanation was that somehow … somehow, this gigantic tablet of _ka_ from Egypt had survived.

_Back to business._ Seto squared his shoulders; there was nothing he could do about the carving, even if it was a _ka_ spirit. It was too large to move and there was nothing to smash it with; it would have to remain. But was that all that was in here?

Fortunately, it didn't take long to determine otherwise. Within moments Seto's flashlight fell across another huge stone tablet. This one, however, was covered with carvings. Kaiba smirked again, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a digital camera.

He couldn't read hieroglyphics in their entirety, and there was no time to decipher the words now. Kaiba was expecting Bakura any minute now, or any number of NOs. He turned on the flash and snapped picture after picture for future analysis.

The key features on the slab were two figures – one with spiked, black hair, dressed in the garb of a Pharaoh, and the other wearing the headgear of a priest. Over their heads were two _ka_ slabs, each drawing out their own monster. Kaiba licked his lips, his mouth dry, when he realized that the priest was drawing out the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Around the two combatants were positioned six of the Millennium Items – the Eye, the Rod, the Tauk, the Ring, the Key, and the Scales. Between and above the combatants stood the Millennium Puzzle, the Wadjet Eye gleaming ominously upon Seto. And around the Puzzle were three more _ka_ slabs – one with the image of a monster, one with the image of a winged beast, and the final one was marked with a creature Kaiba recognized: the Chinese Dragon, a miniature of the gigantic stone slab less than thirty feet from this one.

_What are these _ka _monsters?_ Seto wondered, snapping a final picture. They were important, but Seto could not guess the reason. He put away the camera not a moment too soon, as his radio crackled to life.

"Kaiba-san! The Shadows are moving again," said Anzu's voice.

"Good," Kaiba growled. "Zetaphase, alert AB level. Start!"

"Acknowledged!"

Kaiba grasped his pendants as the energy of Shadows reached him, encroaching on the beam of his flashlight. And yet … _something is not right._

&

"AB level alert! Beta Phase initiated," Anzu reported.

Jonouchi smirked, his hand going to the back of his shoulder, but sweat stood out on his forehead. "Think they're gonna break out their cannons now?" he asked Honda.

"Not if you don't give them enough time," Honda shot back. "I see Shadows."

Sure enough, in the weak light of predawn, the shadows of the buildings were wavering, stretching. Jonouchi grit his teeth. "No running this time," he muttered. "Ask Kaiba if there's any sign of the thief," he shot at Anzu.

Anzu was silent for a moment. "No," she reported. "Three, two, one, initiate!"

Jonouchi dug his fingers into his shoulder. "_Red Eyes Black Dragon, come forth!"_

Jonouchi could literally feel the small tattoo of the dragon lift from his skin, rising like smoke over their heads. Although he couldn't sense the Magic in specific himself, clearly there was enough to allow for a summon. "Attack the Ghouls!" Jonouchi ordered, and his dragon (_his dragon!_ Even now, Jonouchi felt a euphoria as he connected with it) gave a screech for an answer. Its powerful wings beat down, blasting the small group with a gust of wind, and the dragon flew for the Ghouls.

Other monsters immediately began to pop up below them, fighting back in their own ways. The Ghouls were using their own monsters now to return fire. Machine gun fire cut through the air, and Honda dragged Jonouchi down to a crouch. "Don't get killed, idiot!"

"Don't destroy the building, whatever you do!" Kaiba's voice issued from Anzu's mouth. "There's something down here that might be too horrible to release – and _I'm _still inside!"

"Geez, have some faith!" Jonouchi snapped back, his eyes never leaving the battle as his Red Eyes crushed its foes. "I don't like you much, but I certainly don't want you dead!"

&

In the alleyway, the sounds of battle went unnoticed.

Rishid was still in Yuugi's grip. The symbol on his forehead – an oddly-shaped star inside a circle – glowed a soft green, answering the glow of the Horus eye on Yuugi's forehead. It was a long moment until Rishid's mouth opened, a rictus smile cracking across his face. Yuugi grimaced to see it; he had never seen Rishid smile, and this was a sick parody.

"It seems I missed my target by inches," Rishid said, but it was clearly not Rishid speaking. "Forgive me. It was you I aimed for, ancient spirit."

Yuugi's lip twitched in a sneer. "You are the one that is stealing souls, then. I regret to say that mine will not depart so easily."

"Not so. You are barely attached to that body. One can almost see you float away," Rishid replied. "It's not really _yours_, after all, is it?"

"… it is mine as much as anyone's," Yuugi answered without much conviction. Several years ago he would have had no doubt, but now … "Why are you doing this!? What is your intention?"

"I'm afraid that I can't answer so easily. How about this? Let's play a game. If you win, I will answer you. If you lose, I will take your soul and not this one."

"If I win, you cannot have this soul, either," Yuugi shot back, never afraid to raise the stakes higher.

"Hm. That changes things."

"Do you accept or not? I can wrest this game away from you," Yuugi growled, bluffing perfectly. In truth, another Shadow Game would likely knock him cold. He had already put too much strain on the body he was supposed to be taking care of.

"Hah! Fine, I accept. Are you ready, ancient spirit?"

"I am no ancient spirit," Yuugi replied quietly.

"So you say, so you say. I'll take that as a yes. Let's begin!"

_Ende chapter 5_

_Yuugi just can't catch a break, can he?_

_Reviews appreciated!_


	6. End of the Beginning

**Chapter 6: End of the Beginning**

Ryou Bakura was not the sort of person known for his good behavior.

When Ryou was fourteen, his father had gifted him with a beautifully sinister golden trinket shaped like a ring. It was priceless, made from pure gold mixed with just enough bronze to keep it sturdy, and believed to be nearly three thousand years old. He always kept it near, either on his person or otherwise, because it represented his father's love for him. An item like this could have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but rather than put it on the auction block, Mr. Bakura had given it to Ryou. It meant more than the son could say.

But after that, the polite, dedicated son began to disappear for days at a time. He began to keep knives on his person. He would sometimes be quite rude, and later he would claim to have no memory of his behavior. His father worried, and Ryou was increasingly confused.

When Ryou turned 18, he ceased to be confused, but he also ceased to be polite or kind or ever, really, like the son Ryou had once been. He was wrapped up in affairs that were of questionable legality. He was becoming dangerous. His father was forced to kick him out of the house, to which his son spat, "Fool! I am not the son you cherished. I was _never_ your son. Good riddance, and to hell with you!" before he walked out their front door, never looking back.

Other than three bewildered, pleading phone calls, begging to know how Father was doing, Mr. Bakura never heard from his son again.

&

Ryou ran.

The boy – Ryou realized abruptly that he had never gotten the other young man's name – had, in those last moments, given Ryou a severe case of chills. Had it come down to grappling, Ryou had little doubt he could have won – not only was he bigger, but he was more muscled than he could ever recall being – but somehow, that boy could use Shadow Magic. Ryou was not so confident in his own abilities.

_Another me,_ he thought. _Yes, that makes sense._ It was finally a phrase that explained what Ryou had suspected for quite some time: that somehow, after he had gotten the Ring from his father, his body had been acting on its own. But that wasn't possible; someone else was controlling him. Another 'Ryou' …

Was it true? Was it actually a split personality?

Ryou didn't so much as know the _date_. He only remembered snatches of time, brief and confused. When he went to 'sleep', he woke up someplace else. Over time, it had become easier and easier to just sleep; it was too hard to try to make sense of the world in those brief moments of lucidity, when he knew that before he could set things right, he would only fade away again. But this boy was forcing him to think and consider. He claimed to have used Shadow Magic to have sent this split person away – which meant that Ryou would be awake for some time. Maybe even forever.

The thought made him at once giddy and terrified.

What had he done while he was asleep? In the past he had woken up armed to the teeth. Last time he had woken up, all Ryou had been able to determine was that somehow his Ring was connected to the Millennium Items, and they allowed control of Shadow Magic, and soul-stealing. At first that was what Ryou had thought – that somehow his soul was being stolen – but this was more terrifying. His other self was a _thief!?_ What had he stolen!? Was Ryou a _wanted man!?_ "Oh god," he moaned, panting as he took a moment to rest, pressed against a brick wall. "I'm afraid!"

Above him, an entire floor of windows shattered as a piercing roar filled the air. Ryou ducked on instinct, pieces of glass showering him. When it seemed it was safe, he straightened cautiously, peering around the corner as he became aware of sounds of combat.

What he saw took his breath away.

A _dragon_ – an honest-to-goodness real-life dragon! – was bearing down on a group of people wearing cloaks and hoods. The cloaked-and-hooded guys suddenly reached for various parts of their body, and then a series of other, smaller but no less fearsome monsters simply _appeared_ in front of them, leaping to do battle with the dragon. Ryou could hear his own pounding heart in his ears as he watched in awe – could feel the Millennium Ring hot and pulsing against his stomach. Was this Shadow Magic?

Ryou was completely lost in this city – Cairo, if the boy was to be believed. He couldn't go to the police because as likely as not, he would be thrown in jail on account of his being a thief. He didn't even know if he had a passport or an ID or any money – nothing. But he knew two things:

One: He was – or his other self was – a thief, and he had been stealing from the building upon which the Dragon was attacking.

Two: It couldn't possibly be legal to attack a building with a Dragon.

It stood to reason, then, that Ryou's other self was at least on the same side as whomever had that Dragon. And with nothing better to do, Ryou decided to find its controller.

&

"Let's begin!"

Yuugi fully expected to be pulled into the Shadow Realm at that moment, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, around Rishid's feet formed a green ring, inscribed with the same odd star as his forehead. The ring widened to encompass both Rishid and Yuugi, then further, to the walls of the alleyway.

Rishid grabbed Yuugi's wrist then, his grip like iron. Yuugi winced as it tightened, his fingers twitching against Rishid's collar. The taller man then stood, pulling Yuugi's hand away from his collar by main force and thrusting him across the alleyway. Yuugi staggered, nearly tripping over his own feet before catching his balance at the edge of the inscribed circle.

"This will be a game of strength," Rishid announced, standing tall. "Although not exactly like your _Shadow Magic_"—the possessed Rishid sneered at the word, obviously unimpressed—"the circle of Oricalchos acts in much the same way. However, it has one other feature that I think you won't like much." Rishid reached upwards, his hand brushing the scarification of hieroglyphs on his head. "_Mystical Beast Serket!"_

The scorpionlike beast was no stranger to Yuugi, who had fought like this at Rishid's side before. Now, with that fearsome tail poised over Yuugi's head as if to strike, Yuugi felt a whisper of fear. Still, when it came to strength, the Serket was just as powerful as Yuugi's own 'beast'.

Yuugi reached into his pocket and withdrew a slim violet earring. He fitted it into his left ear with care, the pierced hole the only permanent mark Yuugi had willingly gained on his body since the day the Puzzle had been shattered. Brushing his fingers across it, he felt confidence again. "_Dark Magician, come forth!"_

The Shadow Being emerged in full glory, his cloak billowing around him. Yuugi looked out at Serket, and Rishid standing beyond it, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Between Serket and the Magician, they are equally matched," Yuugi informed Rishid's possessor. "Either both will fall, or neither will."

"Ah, ah, ah," Rishid mocked. "Weren't you listening? I told you there was a feature of the Oricalchos that makes it much more powerful than your Shadows." Again Rishid smirked, and again Yuugi cringed. "As the bearer of the Oricalchos mark, my Shadow Being gains strength. The very circle lends it power!"

Yuugi kept his face schooled to indifference, but inwardly he grimaced. His eyes darted to the edges of the ring, which were inscribed with symbols Yuugi didn't know. "… when does this game end, then?"

"When your beast falls!" Rishid snapped. "Mystical Beast Serket, attack the Magician!"

Serket drew forward, its barbed tail flashing down at the Magician. Yuugi jerked his head, and the Dark Magician evaded barely, the poisoned spike embedding in the pavement and leaving a smoking, boiling hole there. The Dark Magician flung out his staff and a bolt of power came off it, slamming into Serket's side. The scorpion skidded sideways, but was otherwise unharmed, its armored exoskeleton smoking gently.

Yuugi set his teeth, but this was nothing new. The underbelly of the beast was the vulnerable part. Still … "Attack again, Dark Magician," he called.

The Dark Magician obeyed. Yuugi's heart began to pick up its pace slightly, and he avoided the urge to press his hand to his chest. _So much strain. I am sorry, aibou._

Serket hissed, and Rishid called for an attack. The scorpion dashed forward, striking down again and again with its barbed tail, but at the last minute the Dark Magician disappeared into a Mystery Box, only to step out again on the other side of the Oricalchos circle.

Rishid was gritting his teeth, his eyes narrowed. Yuugi had never seen him look angry like this. Seeing a chance, Yuugi curled his lip.

"All that power is worth nothing if you can't even hit my Dark Magician," he mocked. "You're like a barbarian with a club; all you can do is lash out blindly at anything that attacks!" The Dark Magician, meanwhile, struck an arrogant pose, folding his arms as if to say 'I don't even need my staff to deal with you!'

"We'll see!" Rishid roared. "Serket!"

The scorpion hissed again, rising on its hind legs in threat.

Yuugi flung out a hand. "Now!"

The Dark Magician needed no second bidding. In an instant it lashed out with its staff, a bolt of power striking the scorpion in its vulnerable underbelly. Serket gave a spasm and fell back to its legs, unmoving as if paralyzed.

Yuugi couldn't help a grin of triumph, looking across to Rishid, who would surely be twitching on the ground from that attack. He regretted the pain he must have caused Serket's master, but it was inevitable. However, Rishid was still standing. In fact, he was _laughing._

"It'll take more than that!" Rishid laughed. "Much more than that! Attack!"

At that range, cornered at the edge of the circle there was no chance for the Dark Magician to move. The barbed tail fell.

It was all Yuugi could do not to scream, his fingers clutching at the nape of his neck as though he were the one that had been stabbed.

&

Despite Kaiba's instructions to Jonouchi to not destroy the Mausoleum, Seto himself was leaving quite a path of destruction in his wake.

Somewhere, there was a Shadow Game going on. It wasn't quite _right_, somehow – he could sense that it was different, and see it too; the shadows at the edges of his vision seemed to crawl and reach out, and somehow, Kaiba knew that if they so much as touched his own shadow, there would be hell to pay.

But before him and behind him, like a giant shield, the Blue Eyes White Dragons went forth, laying everyone before them to waste. They seemed to emit their own light in the darkness, curling around Seto as they killed and maimed and, by their sheer size, took out walls and ceilings. Nothing touched Seto himself; the Dragons protected him.

Seto liked the feeling of walking through his enemy's stronghold with his hands in his pockets as if on an afternoon stroll. It felt like victory, even if this was just a small battle in what seemed an endless war.

Still, another thing nagged him: where was the thief Bakura? Seto had felt – and used – the Shadow Game that Bakura must have played. In the two years that Seto had known Bakura, the man had never lost. Where had he gone? Why hadn't he come for the tablets? Had he sensed things were going south? No; that would never have stopped Bakura. He had clearly intended to lay his own eyes on the tablet, whether Kaiba paid him or not. Something else had happened.

Which was why, of course, he was shocked when Honda's voice reported to him. "Kaiba! Bakura is _here_ – and he's really confused! He, uh, doesn't even seem to know who we are!"

"Don't tell me these things now, idiot," Kaiba snapped, refusing to show his surprise. "Keep your head in the game! Something's wrong with the Shadow Game that's fueling this battle. I'm coming out in a few minutes; keep it together until then."

First, Kaiba wanted to send these Ghouls' master a message.

&

Malik was watching.

He was grinding his teeth in frustration. He was furious. He was going to do horrible things to Yuugi for failing to be there to stop this invasion. He was going to do horrible things to Rishid for the exact same reason. He was going to destroy the mind of every Ghoul there on sheer _principle._

He arched his back in frustration, a gasp escaping him as a voice reverberated in his mind, and a face etched itself there. "I've seen your secrets," the master of the Blue Eyes White Dragons shouted, holding up Malik (no, it was a Ghoul, the Ghoul Malik was looking through, why couldn't he _distinguish!?_) by his robe. "And I'm going to take your army apart piece by piece, whomever you are! _You will give me back my brother's soul! _Tell that to your master!"

The Blue Eyes master didn't know. He _didn't know._ And yet he was holding Malik in this body as surely as if he had reached through the Millennium Rod's connection and taken hold of Malik by the throat. Such power …

The Blue Eyes master released the Ghoul, and Malik slumped in his seat, panting for breath. He felt terribly ill, he realized abruptly.

Yuugi Mutou was going to wish he'd never been born.

&

Yuugi went to his knees, biting down so hard on his lip that it was bleeding. The Dark Magician, too, was bent over, twitching – not finished off, but nearly so, poisoned by the Mystical Beast Serket. The scorpion was poised to strike again, hissing ominously.

"So, 'King of Games'," Rishid mocked, "How does it feel to lose?"

"N-not yet," Yuugi gasped. "Magician … Magical Hats …"

The wounded Shadow Being nodded and disappeared under a series of four magical silk hats of its own devising – a neat trick. Rishid growled. "That will only buy you a little time," he sneered. "One out of four chances, and unless you have some way to recover, it's less than a minute's delay!"

That was true. Yuugi _did_ have a way to heal the Dark Magician, but unfortunately, it wasn't with Yuugi; it was with _Rishid_, who was the very last person Yuugi had expected to fight. A wave of helplessness struck Yuugi, washing over him with despair and followed by desperation. _I can't lose this match! If this body is soulless, what will happen to aibou? I absolutely must not lose! I MUST NOT LOSE!_

The first magical hat combusted, but the Dark Magician was not inside. "One down …" Rishid muttered.

_PHARAOH_

Yuugi's head rang with the call. He physically reached up and clutched his temples, gasping. _Who are you!? What are you!?_

_I am The Dragon of the Sky. I am Osiris given form. I serve none other but the Pharaoh, my fellow God on Earth._

"Two down! When your Dark Magician falls, I win," Rishid reminded Yuugi.

_I am not Pharaoh, nor am I God. I am only half a person, given thought by the Puzzle and a body by fate. I don't know why or how you are reaching out to me, but if you are willing to help me …_

"Damn, you have some luck! Ah well, it must be this last hat. Are you paying attention, spirit? This is the end!"

_Call me forth, and I will come._

Released from the calling spirit, Yuugi slumped slightly. "Not yet," he protested again, and held out his hand. "You never specified how many spirits we could call from the Shadows! _Sky Dragon Osiris, come forth!_"

The roar shook the heavens.

_Ende chapter 6_


	7. God and Men

**Chapter 7: God and Men**

The streets were filled with chaos.

Cairo Enforcement had not yet arrived, but their sirens echoed in the distance. The Ghouls were mostly knocked cold or dead, forced onto the defensive by Jonouchi's Red Eyes. Kaiba stepped out onto the street with his dragons circling about him, glinting as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

At that moment, a roar seemed to shake the very earth. Kaiba braced himself, gritting his teeth. _What now!?_

Like red smoke, something long and huge and sinuous passed through Kaiba's vision. He caught the barest glimpse of huge jaws and glistening talons before it was gone. The sheer _power_ coming off of it threw Kaiba to the ground, falling backwards onto his hands; his fingers trembled against the ground and his heart raced in his chest.

"What … was that …?" Kaiba gasped in shock.

&

The huge body of the Sky Dragon Osiris could not be contained within the Oricalchos circle. Yuugi was as floored as his opponent when the Dragon materialized, its head alone dwarfing Serket. Its body extended back, coils and coils of hide folded around Yuugi and his Dark Magician before weaving up and over the buildings between which they stood.

Yuugi gasped aloud, clutching his chest, struck dumb by the awesome majesty of this Shadow Being. His jaw hung open.

_Close your mouth, Son of Ra. What an undignified face!_

Yuugi snapped his teeth together, pale and sweating. When he had heard this creature call to him, he had never imagined _this._ Humbled, he was silent, his gaze going to Rishid.

Rishid's mouth was still open, fear etched in his face. The Sky Dragon paid Serket no mind, as though the beast were but a snack, and opened its mighty jaw to roar in Rishid's face.

Rishid fell to his knees. "The legends," he mumbled. "The legendary Gods … to think, so close to me …"

"This is over," Yuugi heard himself say, his voice small against the snorted breath of Osiris. "Yield to me."

"I cannot …" 'Rishid' gasped. "If I do, it is my soul that will be forfeit!"

"You have lost!" Yuugi shouted. "Lie in the bed you have made peacefully!"

Rishid tore his eyes away from the Sky Dragon long enough to meet Yuugi's gaze. "… No," he breathed. "You will have to take this to the end. At least, in my defeat, I can also ensure my silence. When you raised the stakes to your friend's soul, you also raised the stakes to mine … the Oricalchos must always take one."

"… it is heavier than a Shadow Game," Yuugi said quietly. "You are a fool."

"But at least I am loyal," Rishid said. He spread his hands. "End this now, ancient spirit!"

Yuugi grimaced. Unfortunately, to defeat this imposter was to defeat Rishid. It would be hard on Yuugi's friend. "Sky Dragon – crush Serket." _Gently! This is my friend._

The Sky Dragon snarled at Rishid's possessor. Without looking, the great Dragon crushed Serket's head under its massive paw, ignoring the reflexive stings of the monster as it watched its real prey. Rishid clutched his head in agony, letting out a tormented cry; Yuugi turned his face away. Mercifully, the Egyptian passed out quickly, falling with his cheek against the pavement.

The Oricalchos circle around he and Yuugi began to withdraw until it encircled only Rishid. From there it narrowed further, withdrawing into a pinpoint on his forehead, and finally disappearing. Behind him, Yuugi could still feel the pulsing strength of the Osiris God. His arms trembled with the effort of holding the God here.

_It is done, _the Sky Dragon observed. _O Pharaoh, I come when you call._

_Thank you, Sky Dragon Osiris. May you live forever, _Yuugi thought almost sardonically, touched with reverence.

The Sky Dragon Osiris shed its scales from tail to nose, a rippling effect, and left behind nothing but one gleaming scale. It fell into Yuugi's hand, smaller than his palm, and Yuugi wrapped his fingers around it tightly. He was still on his knees in the alleyway, the Dark Magician fading as Yuugi lost his grip on the Magic that pervaded his very being.

Yuugi's heart thudded in his chest, too fast; his whole body ached. He needed to rest and recover, but the hotel they were staying at was blocks and blocks away. Rishid lay still, his breathing steady; it would only be a matter of time before he awoke.

Through deafened ears, Yuugi heard sirens.

&

The 'Shadow' magic that had sustained the battle at the Mausoleum faded and dissipated. Ryou saw the huge white dragons at the top of the hill suddenly disappear; above him, the boy calling himself 'Jonouchi' dug his fingers into his shoulder again, and the huge black dragon disappeared as well.

Jonouchi slumped to his knees, then rolled over to sit, leaning back against the narrow embankment he had been hiding behind. "A-aah … that was exhausting!" he moaned in Japanese. Amongst this odd band, that seemed to be the language of choice.

The girl with brown hair – who wasn't really a girl, as far as Ryou could tell – put her hands on her hips, surveying the damage. "Withdraw to the Safeties," she said in a man's voice. "I'll meet you there." She blinked and continued in a feminine voice, "Shizuka-chan will be worried."

A young man with his brown hair all combed into a point over his forehead – 'Honda' – grabbed Ryou by the elbow. "You're coming with us," he said with authority.

"I kind of hoped you'd say that," Ryou confessed. The Ring, which had almost seared his skin with the battle, seemed terrifyingly cool now despite its constant contact with his skin. He could hear the approaching sirens, and they made him nervous.

The trek was a quiet one. The battle had almost entirely been waged by Jonouchi, who was dragging his feet. Honda disappeared for a few minutes, and when he returned, he was devoid of his obvious weaponry. Together, the four of them looked like a group that may have been out too late in a bar and were arriving home with the sun.

Cars with sirens blaring raced past them and paid them no mind. Ryou kept his eyes on the ground, glancing back nervously despite himself. The girl nudged him with her elbow. "Don't look," she murmured. "It makes you look more suspicious."

"I can't help it," Ryou confessed miserably. "I'm afraid that—"

"You are a phantom thief whose face has never been seen by the police," the girl said abruptly. "You are wanted in over twenty countries, but no one knows what you look like. Everyone who is believed to have seen your face is either dead, missing, or insane."

Ryou felt relieved, but that was followed immediately by overwhelming guilt. Those poor people … the 'other Ryou' was a terrible person, after all. He hung his head and trudged along, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

It seemed like an age before they finally stopped at a street corner, where a mild-looking girl stood holding a bundle of flowers. "Shizuka," Jonouchi cheered, suddenly finding the energy to come wrap the girl in a hug.

"Big brother," Shizuka said warmly, hugging back. "You're all right?"

"Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix," Jonouchi answered, keeping his arm around her as he straightened. "Mission accomplished!" he reported with a wide wink.

"Finally," Shizuka said with feeling. "I can't wait to see what Anzu comes up with."

'Anzu' – this was the girl-that-was-not-a-girl's name, apparently – shook her head. "I might give a preliminary explanation, but the more thorough work will be done by Kaiba's computers. I just hope this means our business in Cairo is done!"

"Not feeling too fond of this place, either," Honda concurred, grumbling. "Things are giving me the freaking creeps."

Ryou wondered what they were talking about, but everyone else seemed to understand what Honda meant. Perhaps he was talking about how the 'Shadow Games' weren't quite 'right'? "I'm sorry to interrupt, but can anyone help explain to me what has happened?" he asked plaintively.

Everyone looked at him as if they had forgotten he was even there. "Oi," Jonouchi said slowly. "You really don't remember anything, do you …?"

Ryou licked his lips. "I take it that we have met before, then?"

"Uh, yeah … we saw you the day before last, around evening," Honda 'reminded' him. "But let's talk about this someplace else. Kaiba will follow ANZU's signal, right?"

"Probably. Won't hurt him to walk further, anyway," Jonouchi pointed out, which got him a poke in the side from Shizuka. "Hey!"

"To the motel," Honda proposed, and off they went.

&

In another part of town, Rishid opened his eyes.

Mutou was leaning against the alley wall, his eyes almost completely closed. When Rishid stirred, the young man lifted his head, fixing his gaze on Rishid. "Rishid?" he asked in a low voice, sounding uncertain of the answer.

"Yes," Rishid answered in confirmation. There was a faint, throbbing headache between his eyes, but he was awake. The alleyway was the same as when he had last seen it, save the sunlight streaming over the pavement just outside it. "What happened?" he asked.

Mutou didn't answer right away. He got to his feet gingerly, moving like an old man towards the edge of the alleyway. "While we were gone, someone attacked the Mausoleum," he said solemnly. "The bodies were being disposed of before I dozed off. Cairo Enforcement came, and it is only luck that they did not happen on us." He turned back to Rishid, his gaze drifting down and away.

Rishid closed his eyes for a moment, offering up a prayer for the dead. "And as for you and I …?" he asked at length.

Mutou swung his gaze upwards again, meeting Rishid's. "I have discovered the source of magic Malik sent us to root out. It is called 'Oricalchos' … it seems to draw on the Shadow Realm to create a Shadow Game, but one that is thrown in the challenger's favor. It is designed only for battles between Shadow Beings. I cannot begin to guess why it was created or why it is being used to steal souls … but at last we know 'what' this is."

"Did this 'Oricalchos' use me as its messenger?" Rishid asked. He was large and quiet, but not foolish.

Yuugi nodded slowly. "I am sorry. Whomever it was that wielded the Oricalchos, I could not find his location. He worked through you, and so I was forced to defeat you to protect your soul."

Rishid bowed his head. "Thank you, Mutou, for saving me."

"I don't deserve your thanks. I did it as much to save myself as you," Mutou replied, brushing him off. He drew a deep, slightly shaking breath, and Rishid saw that Mutou was sweaty and pale.

"You overextended yourself." Although Mutou had the power to engage in Shadow Games, his body was weakened by extended time in the Shadow Realm. Pitted against Malik, Malik had proved again and again that it was the Millennium Items that protected their bearers from the Shadows. Mutou was special, but without the Puzzle, he had been driven to exhaustion.

"Nonsense," Mutou said, but he smiled thinly. He had his arms crossed, but his right arm was lifted slightly to press his hand against his chest.

"We shall rest," Rishid informed Mutou. "That is the most important thing right now." He got to his feet. Mutou moved to his side, his hands sliding down into his pockets, and followed as Rishid led the way. Their path took them past the Mausoleum. Windows were shattered and the ground looked as if it had seen a few shoulder rocket launchers, but the building still stood. Rishid merely glanced its way, but Mutou gaped, his eyes wide as he surveyed the damage openly.

It was a little while before Mutou spoke again, and then with trepidation. "The Pharaoh will be furious with us. We were here, and yet we did nothing to stop that attack."

Rishid had faced worse than Malik's wrath, but then, his younger brother was rarely in the same room with him, much less speaking with him. Even when Rishid had been with his brother, he had not seen his brother's face; Malik wore the full apparel of the Ghouls around Rishid, as if his older brother were now a stranger. The one nod towards Rishid was that Malik had not tried to control Rishid with the Millennium Rod, which Malik had used on many Ghouls.

Yuugi was not so lucky. The Rod had no effect on him, curiously – which was the only thing that prevented Malik from controlling Mutou from within. However, there was little doubt that when they returned home, the blame for this would fall squarely on Mutou's shoulders – and Rishid's by extension, because he was supposed to be 'watching' Mutou.

"Hindsight is always perfect," Rishid said at length. "You can't worry about that now."

"… Right, as always," Mutou sighed, but when Rishid looked at him, his expression did not lighten.

&

"So you don't remember anything," Honda reiterated.

The motel room was unbelievably cramped with everyone inside. Anzu stood by the door, her arms crossed under her bosom and a slight frown on her face. Jonouchi and Shizuka sat together on one bed; Honda sat on the other. Ryou leaned against the dresser, chewing his lip uncertainly.

"It's hard to explain," Ryou began, "but no. I'm not the same as the 'Bakura' that you met before."

"Yeah, why don't you explain that to us," Jonouchi grumbled.

"Uh … I believe it starts with the Millennium Ring." Ryou reached under his shirt and pulled it free. He couldn't remember the last time the Ring had been cold under his fingers, but it was now. "I received this as a gift from my father seven years ago. Since then, I began to have blackouts … times when I would go to 'sleep' and wake up someplace else. They were infrequent at first, but then, over time … it seemed that I was 'asleep' more than I was 'awake'." Ryou closed his eyes as he remembered his father's worried, frantic calls recorded on his cell phone, and waking up stripped to his boxers in unfamiliar hotel rooms, up to his elbows in blood-pink water, his stained clothes under his soapy fingers. "It became easier to 'sleep' … when I woke up, I never knew where I was, or what I had done.

"The last time this happened, I was in Russia," Ryou continued. "While I was there, I was awake long enough to learn about that my father's gift is the Millennium Ring, a powerful artifact of power. I learned that it was connected to something called Shadow Magic before I fell asleep again.

"I didn't know what was happening, but I suspected that there was another 'me' – a Bakura who was inside me, doing … things … against my will. It was confirmed for me tonight." He looked around the room, at the confused faces. "I met someone who said he had met the 'other Ryou'. He—"

"Who is 'Ryou'? Is that you?" Shizuka asked abruptly.

Ryou blinked. "Ah, yes … that's my given name," he explained.

"What do you prefer to be called?" Shizuka asked.

Ryou had to pause to think about that. "I-I … I suppose 'Bakura' is fine," he said after a bewildered moment. "It's been a long time since I've been addressed, I mean …" He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Anyway. You were saying?" Honda prompted.

"Yes. This person said he had met the 'other me', and he had somehow, using Shadow Magic, sent the other 'me' away." Ryou licked his lips before he continued. "He believed that the other me was somehow connected to the Millennium Ring … I think he's right. In any case, when I saw you fighting, I thought perhaps you were on the other me's side ... and given my situation, I didn't know where else to go. I'm completely lost. I'm not even sure what season it is, this close to the equator …"

Ryou trailed off, and there was silence for a moment. Finally, Anzu spoke up. "You did the right thing," she said, "going simply by probabilities. If it helps, I can tell you that if your split personality was repressed through Shadow Magic, then you most likely participated in a Shadow Game. That's possible through your Millennium Ring. It's in the Shadow Games that souls are taken …"

"See, I didn't know even that," Ryou complained, but Anzu raised a finger.

"However, soul banishment is the penalty game of most Shadow Games, according to the collected data." She frowned. "If your soul was banished, even if it was a split personality … how is it that you're still here?"

There was no easy answer to that. Ryou shrugged helplessly, and no one else seemed to have a reply. "Perhaps the other me was so split off from me that he had his own 'soul'?" he suggested weakly.

"… Now that's just unfair," Honda said bitterly. "You get _two_ souls while other people have none!?"

"I'm sorry!" Ryou cried, cringing. "I think that I would willingly trade my other soul away, if someone else wanted it … it hasn't been helpful to me at all."

Shizuka spoke up again. "Is it all right if I call you 'Ryou-kun'?" she asked. "Because since you are not the same as 'Bakura', it will be easier to distinguish."

Ryou blushed. "I'm okay with that," he agreed.

Jonouchi, who had been silent up until now, suddenly sat up. "Ryou," he said, "just curious, but this guy who told you about the 'other you': did you catch his name?"

"I didn't," Ryou confessed. "I don't see how it would matter."

"Look," Jonouchi pointed out, "you were basically in enemy territory. You got into a Shadow Game – or Bakura did, anyway – and apparently, you lost. But this guy who Shadow-Gamed you just takes you aside and explains what happened, then lets you go?"

"Woah. You're right," Honda breathed, coming out of his funk to realize Jonouchi's insight. "You think maybe there's an ally on that side of the fence?"

"Someone who's at least decent," Jonouchi agreed. "What'd he look like? Was he a Ghoul?"

"A G-ghoul?" Ryou stammered.

"Was he wearing a cloak?" Anzu asked, her patience sounding slightly tested.

"Oh! No, he was dressed in black," Ryou recalled. "But just a shirt and jeans, like you, Jonouchi-san, and a collar necklace. Um … he wasn't very tall. But he had hair that seemed to stand on end! It was black, but he had his bangs bleached blond. It would be hard to miss that hair … what?"

Everyone else in the room was staring at him. Ryou cringed back slightly under the weight of their gazes.

Jonouchi was off the bed and grabbing Ryou by the collar of his shirt in no time flat, forcing Ryou to lean back over the dresser. "Where was this!?" he barked.

"N-near the Mausoleum! Two blocks away, maybe," Ryou stammered. "But there's no reason he'd still be there! He was fine when he told me to leave," he gasped.

Jonouchi released him with a little shove, his eyes bright. "Yuugi," he breathed. "No way! Definite proof that _Yuugi is alive!_"

_Ende chapter 7_


	8. The Missing Millennium Item

**Chapter 8: The Missing Millennium Item**

Yuugi and Rishid walked three more blocks before Rishid reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, calling for a car. Yuugi listened with half an ear, turning the red scale in his pocket over and over in his fingers.

He didn't know what had possessed him to not tell Rishid about the Sky Dragon Osiris. In his thrall to the Pharaoh, Rishid was his caretaker and partner. When Yuugi Shadow-Gamed, it was with Rishid as often as not. Such a powerful ally was the sort of thing that Yuugi should have sprung to tell Rishid about.

However, he refrained, even as Rishid put his cell phone away and waited patiently. _Tell him_, he admonished himself. _What is the harm?_

It took Yuugi a while to realize what was holding him back. _The Sky Dragon called me 'Pharaoh' … _Yuugi didn't believe it for a minute. It was arrogant to think such a thing, and being Yuugi Mutou was more than enough. However, should Pharaoh Malik get wind of it, Yuugi doubted he would take it well. Telling Rishid was inviting Malik to learn of the Sky Dragon's allegiance.

The wise thing to do, of course, would be to tell Malik himself. If the Sky Dragon wished to serve the Pharaoh, Yuugi could simply help the spirit in the right direction by giving Malik the scale. But selfishly, Yuugi wanted to keep that awesome power for himself.

_Weigh your options carefully, Mutou, _Yuugi told himself. _The sooner Malik feels that he is truly Pharaoh, the sooner you will be allowed to complete the Puzzle._

The Puzzle. Yuugi's whole life revolved around it. He remembered nothing previous to its completion. Afterwards, his world had exploded with the oddest thing: _thought. _Self-awareness. The desire to protect 'himself' from harm, and punish those who would hurt his friends. Eventually he had realized that these feelings arose when a weaker, gentler part of himself saw or felt harm. He had protected that part of himself with all his might.

Slowly, slowly Yuugi had reversed his viewpoint, however. Rather than seeing the gentler 'Yuugi' as part of himself, he saw himself as part of that 'Yuugi'. And over time, as his own sense of self began to evolve, he even became so arrogant as to believe that he was actually a separate person – maybe even a separate soul from that Yuugi. The gentler Yuugi seemed to become aware of him in response, and a tentative partnership had been struck. The stronger … no, _darker_ Yuugi had magic that the lighter Yuugi knew nothing about; with that magic, the dark Yuugi protected the light Yuugi. The light Yuugi taught the dark Yuugi mercy and kindness and temperance.

Everything had changed the day the darker Yuugi had failed. They had been kidnapped. The lighter Yuugi was terrified, reaching out for the darker Yuugi. Dark Yuugi had answered, emerging as the visible personality, and had gone to protect his 'aibou' …

Yuugi cringed away from the memory. The Puzzle had been shattered that day, and somehow that had silenced the voice of 'light' Yuugi. In horror, Yuugi had realized that it was the Puzzle that fueled his existence. Without the Puzzle … there was no communication between the light and dark halves. There was nothing to facilitate a switch. The destruction of the Puzzle had sealed a pathway in Yuugi's heart – a pathway that Yuugi was sure he could reconstruct if he could only put the Puzzle back together again.

Six years, and he could get no further along than five or six pieces. The solution eluded him, and Yuugi ached with longing for his better half. He would do anything to get his aibou back.

Except, apparently, steal Millennium Items from helpless fools, or turn over the power of a God to Pharaoh Malik. Yuugi pressed his hand to his face. _Please, let things be clearer after a nap._

A black car with tinted windows pulled up in front of Rishid. The door opened, and a New Order member stepped out from the driver's side. "Master Rishid, Master Mutou. Please." He opened the back door and held it for Yuugi and Rishid, and the two climbed in.

A Ghoul sat in the passenger's seat. Yuugi's heart, already worn from countless past Shadow Games and the trials of the night, set to thudding again. It hurt, and Yuugi's fingers twitched with the effort to not reach for his chest. He knew what he was sensing from the Ghoul, and for a moment he was disgusted with himself for being so terrified.

The driver got back behind the wheel. The moment the car lurched forward, the Ghoul turned in his seat. In a flash he had reached back and had Yuugi by the throat, his grip tight. Rishid moved to stop the Ghoul before he froze, apparently sensing what Yuugi had sensed. He stilled, bowing his head.

"_Where were you!?" _the Ghoul demanded, but it was Malik's words. Yuugi could all but see the Horus Eye glinting under the Ghoul's hood. _"The Mausoleum was defiled! I know that you were there, and yet you did nothing!"_

Yuugi's voice was hoarse from the hand restricting his windpipe, but still he managed to respond. "You sent me here not to protect the Mausoleum, but to seek out the Shadow Magic that was stealing the souls of your Ghouls," he rasped. "It was that power I was dealing with. F--… forgive me, Pharaoh." It was harder to force those last words past his arrogance than past his throat.

But Malik was not to be so easily pleased. _"The deepest sanctuary was delved into. Secrets that are for my eyes alone were unearthed. And you were dealing with something that has stolen but a few measly souls!? I should kill you!_"

"H-how was I to know!?" Yuugi grit out. The hand on his throat tightened, and Yuugi gagged before he could speak again, his hands helplessly going to pull at the fingers wrapped around his neck. "You hid from me the purpose of that building! Gkkh!"

"Master Malik!" Rishid said suddenly. "Forgive your servant! He acted to save your servant Rishid's life!"

The Ghoul looked in Rishid's direction, and the hand around Yuugi's throat loosened, then fell away. Yuugi coughed hard, bending over and covering his mouth. Rishid made no move to help.

"_Rishid …"_ Malik said slowly. His voice hardened again. _"Did you find the cause of the soul-stealing magic?"_

"Yes. It is a Shadow Magic called Oricalchos. It seems that it is a more focused form of the Shadow Game, with higher stakes … a soul must be taken whenever it is activated." Yuugi had not exactly said that, but this was what Rishid surmised from what Mutou had told him. "Its source and its wielder, we know nothing about. But we will find out, should you wish it, Master Malik."

"_Hmph. Put that on the backburner for now. Yuugi …_" The tone was almost sing-song.

Yuugi rose from his crouch, his eyes on the floor. "Yes?" he asked, his voice hoarse and slightly testy.

Malik apparently decided to ignore that. _"The person who discovered my secrets is a man who controls the Blue Eyes White Dragons. He is in Cairo. Should you see him or sense him, you will report it immediately to me. You will make no further contact. Is that clear?"_

"Yes, Pharaoh," Yuugi rasped.

"_In the meantime, there is a certain man I want you to see …"_

&

"Yuugi? Who's Yuugi?" Ryou asked, completely bewildered.

"He's our friend," Anzu answered immediately.

"But you thought he was dead?"

"He disappeared six years ago, and we recently had reason to believe that he might not be … well … of this earth any more," Honda explained.

"Did he have the Mille—uh, a gold inverted pyramid hanging around his neck?" Jonouchi asked excitedly.

"The Millennium Puzzle, you mean?" Ryou asked. "No … actually, it was very strange. He had no Millennium Item with him."

"Man, Yuugi didn't go anywhere without that thing," Jonouchi griped. "Why wouldn't he have it with him …?"

"Why would he be with the people in the Mausoleum?" Shizuka added. "That seems strange as well."

"Want to know what else is strange?"

Everyone jumped as the door of the room opened to admit Kaiba. He held up the room's key card and stepped inside, forcing Anzu to move to accommodate him. The CEO of Kaiba Corporation, the world's leading company in artificial intelligence and international security, was unnaturally tall. He was dressed in his version of a formal suit, which was to say a billowing trench coat and black pants and shirt. "There were two Shadow Games tonight," he pointed out. "One of them, Bakura participated in." He jerked his chin at Ryou. "The other was _wrong_. And impossible, unless Bakura can tell us otherwise. Was there another Millennium Item at the Mausoleum tonight?"

"No—no, not to the best of my knowledge," Ryou stammered. "But I barely know how the Ring works, so I could be wrong!"

"… You really don't remember anything, do you," Kaiba growled.

"It's a long story," Ryou began.

"Short version: _Ryou_ here is a completely split personality from Bakura," Jonouchi said, jerking his thumb at Ryou. "Bakura was Shadow-Gamed right out of the picture. Guess who Shadow-Gamed him?" he added with a huge grin.

"Yuugi Mutou," Kaiba deadpanned.

Jonouchi stared, the wind knocked completely out of his sails. "How did you …?"

"Heard the part about the Puzzle. Also, who else can defeat the undefeatable?" Kaiba demanded, his eyes narrowed.

"So what does that say about the EVP?" Shizuka asked.

"Right now? Nothing important enough to find out. I've got some interesting pictures for everyone, and a few questions for the mutt here."

"… would you stop calling me that, freakin' skyscraper-man?"

"Hey, um, do you mind introducing yourself?" Ryou addressed Kaiba. "I don't think we've met …"

"Seto Kaiba. I've contracted you a few times," the CEO answered. "Call me Kaiba."

"You … um, seem to buy the explanation for my sudden change in personality extremely easily," Ryou said quietly.

Kaiba held Ryou's gaze steadily. "People who meet Mutou tend to change," he said. Then he tossed a digital camera in Anzu's direction. "Take a look at this with everyone else. Jonouchi, come with me." He started for the door.

Jonouchi growled softly, but he followed anyway, curious what it was that Kaiba wanted.

&

Jonouchi and Kaiba stepped outside of the little motel room, looking out at the morning activity. It was quiet here; the bistro across the street had a few customers, but there was little else. "What didya want, Kaiba?" Jonouchi asked, leaning with his back against the railing.

"There were two tablets in that room," Kaiba began bluntly. "One was the tablet we expected. It's covered with information about the Millennium Items. The other … it was a _ka_ tablet."

"One that _survived_?" Jonouchi asked, openly gaping. "I thought only your Blue Eyes had—"

"Me too," Kaiba said in a low voice, his fingers brushing against the pendant at his neck.. "There's more, though. The _ka_ being was shaped like a Chinese Dragon, and without anyone visibly present to summon the monster, it was responding to the Shadow Game between Bakura and (apparently) Mutou." He pursed his lips.

Jonouchi waited patiently for several seconds, then prompted, "Okay, that's interesting. What else?"

Kaiba shot Jonouchi a look, but he continued. "The tablet was reproduced in miniature on the tablet we were after, along with two other _ka_ tablets. Hopefully the Millennium tablet has some information about that.

"And there's more than that, even. When I left the Mausoleum, just before the second Shadow Game ended, I saw the _ka_ spirit." Kaiba didn't look at Jonouchi, but the shorter man could see that he was tense with the memory. "Someone, somewhere, summoned it. It was … unbelievable."

"… You want to know if I felt it," Jonouchi stated. Without waiting for Kaiba to respond, he nodded. "Yeah … no one else reacted, so I thought maybe I was crazy, or maybe that it was your Blue Eyes. But I heard this roar … I swear it nearly knocked me off my feet. And for a second, just a second, there was this incredible pressure – but then it was gone. I can't feel 'em like you can, though."

Kaiba made no immediate reply. "… I don't like this," he said flatly. "Especially if Bakura is right, and Mutou is mixed up in this. If he doesn't have the Puzzle, and Bakura was with you, then who the hell was playing the second Shadow Game!? And he disappears for six years and then suddenly appears, now of all times!?"

Jonouchi would never have admitted it to anyone, but he was probably better at reading Kaiba's moods than anyone else save the absent Mokuba. "And there's something else?" he asked.

"I didn't think of it until Bakura described Mutou." Kaiba met Jonouchi's gaze and held it for a long moment. "The most prominent image on the Millennium Item tablet was of the high priest and the Nameless Pharaoh doing battle. The Pharaoh looks strikingly like Mutou."

Jonouchi gripped the railing, determined not to show an overt reaction. "… Well, he does have the Puzzle. Or did," he said with a shrug. "Maybe you're just over-thinking things."

"Not likely," Kaiba snorted. "It might not matter. The past is the past, and the present is the present. It's an idle observation, but with everything that we've seen, coincidences seem unlikely."

Jonouchi finally looked away, raising his eyes to the eaves over the narrow walkway. "It's kind of stupid, but I'm relieved to hear that Yuugi's walking around, whether he's with us or not. You gave us a serious scare with that EVP analysis, you jerk."

"Hmph. My computers don't make mistakes," Kaiba replied, but he didn't offer an explanation.

"… We should look for him," Jonouchi said cautiously.

"No. What we should do is analyze the information on that tablet and make our next move based on that," Kaiba shot back.

"Dude, there's no way Yuugi is willingly working with the NO," Jonouchi pointed out heatedly. "If he knew we were here, don't you think he'd help us out? Maybe we can help _him_ out."

"With our current resources, that would be a serious risk."

"This is my best friend we're talking about, dammit!" Jonouchi exploded. "He's _here_, in the same city, and I'm not just walking away!"

"Shut up for a moment and think this through," Kaiba said coldly. "Mutou would be a serious asset, but what information do we have on him? Only that he is in this city and with the NO. We can't even be one hundred percent sure this is Mutou and not someone who resembles him – not without the Puzzle."

"There has to be a way," Jonouchi growled, glaring at Kaiba.

"… if you find one, and it's feasible, you let me know," Kaiba answered flatly. "Until then, we do things how I say to do them. Agreed?"

Jonouchi grit his teeth, but he nodded tightly. "Fine. But if I see him with my own two eyes, I can't be held responsible for my actions."

Kaiba smirked. "Fair enough."

_Ende chapter 8_


	9. Power of God

_Thank you again to olesia.love, Shamise, and tavia454 for your reviews!_

**Chapter 9: Power of God**

In Sydney, Australia, a man with long aquamarine hair (yes, it was natural; no one quite knew how to explain it) opened his eyes slowly as if from a trance. He was sitting cross-legged on a cushion, the fingers of both hands in the traditional 'ohm' symbol.

He frowned.

His mismatched eyes – one gold, one green (and that was natural too, somehow) – went to the wall of _ba _tablets before him, although he knew them as _tashii_ tablets. There he saw what he did not want to see … the image of his servant Raphael, etched into one of the many blank tablets in the cavernous room.

The man was Daniel Owens by birth, but he was better known as Dartz. Raphael was – or had been – the servant most skilled with the Oricalchos mark, able to utilize it through trances, moving the mark as far as fifty miles away from his location with unusual precision. It was for this reason that Dartz had sent Raphael after the nest of Shadow users in Cairo, Egypt.

Strong souls were what he needed – hundreds of thousands of them. Shadow users had strong souls by nature – not quite as strong as the souls of an Oricalchos user, but then, the Oricalchos itself was a stronger magic, and Dartz could not afford to sacrifice its wielders just yet. Utilizing the Oricalchos, souls could be stolen in an instant – moved from the body to this very room, where it would be stored in a _tashii _tablet until the day Dartz made use of it.

It had been a joyful moment when Raphael had reported that two very powerful souls – both very old – had appeared in Cairo. However, one had disappeared before Raphael could take it. The other … a small miscalculation forced Raphael to play a game for the soul. Raphael had lost, apparently. It was the only feasible reason why it was Raphael's soul that had been taken, moved into the _tashii_ tablet, rather than the ancient spirit's. An unacceptable loss in Dartz's estimation.

_I'll have to send others, _Dartz thought. _Many souls are good, but stronger souls are better. My lord Leviathan … soon you will be fully engorged by the souls of this earth, and then we will cleanse the land together._

&

Once they'd arrived at their hotel room, Mutou immediately sailed into the bathroom. Rishid left him to it, shedding his cloak to reveal a black long sleeved shirt and black pants. He settled on his chosen bed and opened a book; exhausted as he was, he could not fall asleep until Mutou had.

Mutou had been correct about Malik's wrath, he noted. As usual, Rishid wished he could give his brother some peace, but it seemed nothing could … since he had seized control of the Millennium Rod, he had been insatiable. To right the wrongs done to his family, to avenge the three thousand years of living in the dark, protecting the Items entrusted to them … Malik was determined to become the foretold Pharaoh, replacing whomever would have laid claim to that destiny.

The shower stopped running. A few minutes later, Mutou emerged with a towel draped over his hair, dressed only in boxers. He ignored Rishid, going to sit on the other bed with his back to Rishid, toweling his hair vigorously.

Beneath the folds of the towel, the extensive scarification of hieroglyphics and symbols across Mutou's back were just barely visible. Rishid knew them; they were the same as the marks across Malik's back.

Rishid closed his eyes and looked away. Why had Mutou been branded with that? Was it merely because he carried the Millennium Puzzle? There had to be a particular reason, but Malik wasn't sharing, and Mutou quite simply didn't know.

&

"All right, I've done a preliminary examination and translation of the tablet," Anzu said with that teaching voice she sometimes got. Everyone who knew her had learned to put up with it; what was amazing was that _Kaiba_ was putting up with it, too.

"The translation states that there are seven Millennium Items, wielded by the six High Priests of the Pharaoh and the Pharaoh himself. Four of them possess the power of sight: into the future, into far-off lands, into a man's soul, and into a man's thoughts. One possesses the power to control. One possesses the power to weigh the hearts of men. The final Item possesses the 'perfect power of the Shadows', and is considered the mark of the Pharaoh. Based on the accompanying image, the final Item is probably the Millennium Puzzle.

"We knew most of that already," Anzu continued, "But the rest is completely new information. It states that the 'King of Games' would wield the power of the Three Gods: Osiris, the Sky Dragon; Obelisk, the Tormentor; and Ra, the Phoenix of the Sun. That's what those three _ka_ tablets around the Puzzle are.

"The preliminary examination shows that this tablet is probably about three thousand years old, which is exactly what we want to hear," Anzu finished, smiling slightly. "That's all I can determine."

Kaiba had his hand on his chin. "The Gods sound usefully powerful. One is in the Mausoleum," he reminded everyone, having told them about his experience with Osiris. "However, even if we could seize its _ka_ tablet, it won't help us unless we can find the Millennium Items."

"That's where Ryou-kun would come in," Shizuka said. "With the Ring, it should be much easier."

Ryou smiled weakly. "If it's possible to help, I would be honored. But why … I mean, why are we all doing this? I'm here because, er … to be perfectly honest, I don't have any other choice, although I like all of you just fine," he added hastily. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you all end up doing this …?"

"Well, remember Yuugi?" Anzu asked. "Since he disappeared, we almost haven't had a choice. We care about him, and we want to find him. Since he has the Millennium Puzzle, he's inevitably mixed up in this."

"We also don't have anywhere to go," Shizuka said gently. "Domino City in Japan, where we all come from …"

Ryou remembered the cataclysmic tidal wave that had wiped out a long portion of the Japanese coastline, killing almost a hundred thousand people; it had happened just under five years ago. Ryou paled. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered, horrified with himself for bringing up such a painful memory.

"It's okay," Shizuka said, offering a quick smile. "You didn't know."

Kaiba changed the subject. "Now that we're done with that trip down memory lane, it's time to figure out what our next move is."

"If the Mausoleum has one of these Gods, I think we should go destroy the _ka_ tablet," Honda said. "We don't want anyone summoning it against us."

"That's useless. The Sky Dragon was summoned already," Kaiba pointed out. "Even if the _ka_ tablet is destroyed, whomever summoned it already has a token of the God." He narrowed his eyes. "We need to know who summoned God. I would like to have this power on our side. If another Millennium Item possessor has such a powerful monster on their side, he'll be unstoppable, and that's unacceptable."

"Which brings us back to finding the Millennium Items," Jonouchi grumbled.

"I-I could try dowsing."

Everyone looked up at Ryou, who was rubbing the back of his head uncertainly. "Dowsing," he said again. "Um, with the Ring … if it finds Millennium Items, it might be possible to … to find them on a map? I might be able to pinpoint their locations."

"… Ryou, that's brilliant," Anzu cried.

Kaiba grunted. "It's worth a try," he allowed.

"Then if nobody minds," Jonouchi said, standing up, "I'm really hungry. I'm gonna go get us some food."

At the same time, Ryou jumped. "Wait!" He groped at his stomach, then reached down his shirt to pull out the Millennium Ring again.

The Ring was glowing gently, and its pointers were wavering. One abruptly stood upright, pointing straight at the doorway to the room. Everyone, even Kaiba, stared at it as though it were an alien creature.

"… Um, do I even want to open that door?" Jonouchi asked. At the same time, whomever was on the other side knocked.

"Do it," Kaiba ordered, and Jonouchi shrugged, turning the knob.

Before them stood a tall Egyptian, his eyes outlined with kohl. He was dressed from head to toe in white linen, as if he had just walked off the set of a movie taking place in Ancient Egypt. Around his neck hung an unmistakable item: the Millennium Key.

"The doorway to darkness has opened," the Egyptian said, "and God has been released." He surveyed the group with sharp eyes. "I am Shadi, and I have come to restore Ma'at."

&

Yuugi opened his eyes.

He glanced at the clock; it read 9:13 AM, but the room was pitch-dark. The heavy curtains were drawn, blocking all but the narrowest sliver of sunlight from entering the hotel room.

It was a rare moment that Yuugi was awake when Rishid was not, at least when the two of them were traveling. Yuugi let his eyes drift closed again for the moment. His heart no longer felt as if it were straining for every beat, but he would need more rest, and then food. Yuugi had to do his best by this body.

But he couldn't seem to get back to sleep. After dozing for a few minutes, Yuugi opened his eyes again and crawled halfway out from under the covers, reaching across the nightstand between the beds for where Rishid's phone sat. He took it in hand, sitting up in bed, and dialed completely at random before pressing the phone to his ear.

It rang twice. Then, "Hello?"

"Hello," Yuugi said hoarsely, his voice a whisper.

"Who _kssht_ is this?"

Yuugi licked his lips. "I'm sorry, can you say that again? You're breaking up."

"I _ssssOther me … _this?"

"Aibou," Yuugi whispered, smiling at the far wall of the room.

"_Puz-zzzzle ksssssssssth warned th-th-them, d-d-d-don't come to _Hello!? The connection is _miss the sunlight ksssht kakakakaka—"_

"I know," Yuugi answered, clenching his teeth. "I'm coming for you. Hang on, Aibou."

He disconnected the line and placed the phone back where it belonged, sliding back under the covers. He was not much comforted, but his light half was hanging on, and that was what Yuugi needed to know.

_Hang the God, _Yuugi thought suddenly, mutinously. _Malik can have it. I have only one job to do, and I will do it well._

_Ende chapter 9_

_reviews always appreciated and responded to. Thank you again!_


	10. Even Playing Field

**Chapter 10: Even Playing Field**

"This has got to be the most popular place in all of Cairo," Honda griped. There were now seven people in the room: Kaiba, Shizuka, Anzu, Jonouchi, Honda, Ryou, and the newcomer, Shadi – and there was practically nowhere to stand or sit. "Kaiba, can't we go someplace more comfortable?"

"There isn't time," Shadi answered before Kaiba could, earning himself a glare from the CEO. "I have much to say and little time to say it. You," he said, pointing to Ryou, "And you,"—he pointed to Kaiba—"Especially: you shall be tested."

"Me!?" squeaked Ryou. Kaiba merely snorted.

"You have the Millennium Key," Kaiba said, sneering slightly. "I'll hear you out, but after that you'll hand over your Item. I'll force you if I must."

Shadi met his gaze evenly. "You will not," he answered. "When the time comes, the Pharaoh will receive this Item from me. No one else may have it as long as it is entrusted to me."

"Then you do believe the Nameless Pharaoh is alive again," Anzu said.

"I don't care," Kaiba hissed. "I only care insofar as all the Item Bearers seem to revolve around this story. But I'll be damned if I let an Item walk into my grasp and let it walk back out!"

"You are wrapped up in this as well," Shadi answered, ever calm. "Did you not let Bakura do as much?"

"He was useful and in contact," Kaiba replied.

"The same can be said for me, then," Shadi answered, smiling slightly. "Do you want the information I have for you? Or do you want the Item more?" There was a sense of weighing in his gaze.

Kaiba's teeth were pressed tightly together, but he bit out, "The information. Hurry up."

Shadi's smile faded slowly as he closed his eyes. "Seto Kaiba," he said, "You saw the God Osiris."

Kaiba crossed his arms. "Yes."

"You saw how awesome his power is. But Osiris has an equal." Shadi gazed around the room. "All of you have become privy to the secrets of the Tombkeepers. I have been in contact with the one who controls the most of the Millennium Items. His name is Malik Ishtar, the inheritor of the Tombkeeper's seal. Under his direct control is the Millennium Rod and the Millennium Puzzle, and he long kept the Millennium Tauk close by. The Tauk is now moving, however. Under his indirect control are my Items. I carry the Key and the Scales."

Kaiba's eyes were wide. "Five Items?" he breathed.

"The Millennium Puzzle?" Jonouchi demanded, stomping his foot. "But Yuugi—"

Shadi spoke over him. "The Ring is here. The Eye is the only Item now lost." He met Kaiba's eyes. "If you take from me the Key and the Scales, then Malik will be able to use the Rod to look into my mind. He will perceive of your existence, and you will lose the advantage of being hidden in the shadows. Do you still wish to take my Items?"

Kaiba smirked slightly. "Fine, your point is made. But you cannot hide now, can you?" He gestured to Ryou. Ryou looked uncomfortable.

"No, I cannot, nor do I need to." Shadi gave the impression of being tired of Kaiba. "Allow me to continue.

"This is information I have received from Ishizu Ishtar, the sister of Malik Ishtar. She cannot be here, but she wishes you to know this: the three Gods have been found, their _ka_ tablets long buried in the Valley of the Kings. They will awaken only for the Pharaoh. That Osiris has been summoned is proof that the Nameless Pharaoh once again walks this Earth."

"So you're saying that only one person can summon the Gods," Honda stated. "And it's the Pharaoh on the tablet?"

"The Wall of Memories, and I do not know. The Pharaoh must awaken them. That is all that has been written on the subject."

"The Pharaoh who looks a lot like Yuugi?" Jonouchi added under his breath, a little testy, shooting Kaiba a glance.

"There are two more Gods now that still slumber. Osiris is under the eye of Malik. Ra is out of our reach. However, Obelisk is with me." Shadi's gaze went to Seto. "You must awaken him."

Kaiba stared at him. "What?"

"Ishizu Ishtar named you in my presence: Set, the High Priest of the Nameless Pharaoh, and his successor to the throne. You are the only other Pharaoh that wielded Shadow Magic. You might be able to awaken Obelisk."

"Woah, woah," Jonouchi interrupted, waving his hands. "Why the heck are you here and doing this?"

"You are the one in charge of the Mausoleum," Kaiba added, remembering something.

Shadi was as impassive as ever. "As I said, Malik has indirect control over me."

"Then why the hell should we trust you!?" Jonouchi demanded, only to 'oof!' when Honda elbowed him.

"Why would he tell us he works for Malik if he wanted us to trust him!? The guy's either betraying Malik or playing both sides. Either way, it's of help to us," Honda stage-whispered.

"I am merely a messenger," Shadi said, a tiny furrow between his eyes. "'The future is filled with shadow, but there is a point of light. My brother has the Pharaoh, but Set is still free.' This is what Ishizu Ishtar said to me."

"It's got to be Yuugi," Jonouchi muttered. "Somehow … the Pharaoh is Yuugi …" He looked around at everyone, gesturing. "I mean, come on! Yuugi is with the NO, which is apparently working for this Malik guy, according to Shadi here. He's the one that has the 'mark of the Pharaoh', the Puzzle – or at least he solved it. Whaddaya wanna bet he's the guy that summoned Osiris?"

"_How_!?" Kaiba snapped. "He doesn't have the Puzzle now if it is Yuugi! Think about it. The most likely participant in that second Shadow Game was actually him!" He pointed at Shadi.

"… Maybe Shadi was playing against Yuugi?" Jonouchi asked, a little more meek.

"I did not participate in any Shadow Game last night," Shadi said.

"Then we're back to the second game being impossible," Kaiba grumbled. "Okay, I'm going to go with this whole raising Obelisk thing. You have the _ka_ tablet. Where is it!?"

"I cannot tell you. I will take you there this evening. As I said, I cannot stay long."

"One condition, then," Kaiba added. "Bakura here goes with me."

Ryou's eyes were wide, but he said nothing as Shadi silently sized him up. "Agreed," Shadi said at length. "I must be going." He turned to leave the room, but before he opened the door, he looked over to Jonouchi. "Your 'Yuugi' ... he does not remember it, but we have met once before. He is worthy to carry the weight of the Nameless Pharaoh." He swept from the room almost majestically.

"I _knew_ it!" Jonouchi crowed.

&

Yuugi didn't wake up again until two o'clock in the afternoon. He yawned, stretching, and rolled out of bed to brush his teeth while only half awake. Rishid was shaving, his head and face a mass of white shaving foam.

"You called someone this morning?" Rishid asked after an appropriate amount of time.

Yuugi answered with his toothbrush still jammed in his mouth. "Yesh," he started, then spit in the sink. "Yes. I'm sorry if they called back."

Rishid shook his head a little before scraping the razor down his cheek. "No, it's fine." He never questioned the occasional, apparently random phone calls Yuugi made in certain cities. Yuugi suspected that Rishid knew exactly who he was trying to talk to but was being polite about it. Whatever the case, Yuugi let it slide. "We go to meet with Shadi at three," Rishid continued after a bit.

Yuugi rinsed his mouth with water and stared at the drain. Shadi … the possessor of the Millennium Key and Scales. Malik had ordered them – or rather, ordered Yuugi – to meet with the man today, supposedly regarding the Mausoleum attack. Malik was not happy with Shadi, who was also not present to prevent the attack. However, Pharaoh Malik did not have direct control over the Egyptian, or he would deal with Shadi himself. Instead, he sent Yuugi. Yuugi washed his toothbrush off and set it aside, and turned back to the room to change. "Rishid, you know Pharaoh Malik better than I," he said. "Does he want Shadi's Items more than he wants Shadi?"

Rishid answered in a louder voice, over the running water. "Right now I think it is a benefit to him to have Shadi carry the Key and the Scales," he replied. "He would have said outright that he wants you to Shadow Game him for the Items if that is what he wanted. I think he sends you because …" Rishid trailed off, and there was a long pause. Yuugi pulled on his sleeveless shirt. "Perhaps I do not know," Rishid finished, his voice lower.

Yuugi heaved a sigh and delved into his suitcase for bracers to wear. "Thank you, Rishid," he said, snapping a pair around his wrists. "I hope we will find out what we are looking for."

&

"I am Rishid Ishtar, Malik Ishtar's brother," Rishid introduced himself, pressing his fist into his open palm and bowing. "This is Yuugi Mutou, employed by Master Malik." Yuugi bowed in the same way. Compared to the two Egyptians, Yuugi was a dwarf, craning his neck to meet their eyes. Still, something about his presence competed with Shadi for attention.

Shadi bowed to them both. "I am honored to host Master Ishtar's servants," he intoned. The Millennium Key glinted in the afternoon light. "Come in."

Yuugi and Rishid stepped inside, following Shadi into what amounted as his office. It was more of a study space, papers and replicas of various artifacts dotting the earthen-colored furniture. "The Mausoleum is my private property," Shadi said, going to a homely desk and standing behind it. "There I house some of the lost artifacts of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt on my own dime. Last night you were both there when it was attacked – twice," Shadi said.

Yuugi and Rishid looked at each other. "Twice?" Yuugi asked, apprehensive.

Shadi's eyes were golden-brown in color; they locked with Yuugi's. "You know what I speak of," he said, his features impassive. "The first attack was by a thief – the 'Thief King', whose face no one has seen. But you confronted him, did you not?"

Yuugi was silent, glowering, his hands fisted in his pockets.

Shadi did not look away. "He carries the Millennium Ring, one of the items that eludes Master Ishtar's grasp. You must have Shadow Gamed him, but somehow the thief escaped. In that time, you left the Mausoleum.

"The Mausoleum was attacked a second time while you were leaving. This attack allowed someone into the inner sanctum, where two secret tablets are kept bearing secure information about the Eighteenth Dynasty. This security breach is what Master Ishtar is most concerned about, I presume?"

"Yes," Yuugi answered, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I do not know who was the perpetrator," Shadi said, finally taking a seat in a wooden chair and motioning for Yuugi and Rishid to do the same. Yuugi remained standing, his back rigid. Rishid, taking his cue from Yuugi, remained standing as well. Shadi, however, folded his arms underneath his linen robes. "But he must have been a Shadow user with a powerful monster to have escaped with so many Ghouls on my property."

"He is the master of the Blue Eyes White Dragons," Yuugi said tightly.

Shadi turned his head slightly, but his gaze didn't leave Yuugi's. "Do you know who that is?"

Again Yuugi said nothing, his lips thinned.

Shadi held his gaze for a long moment, then looked to Rishid. "Please leave us, Master Rishid."

Rishid looked to Yuugi, but Yuugi's eyes didn't waver, boring into the side of Shadi's head. "… Very well," he said, bowing. He shut the door behind himself as he left.

Shadi stood again as the door swung shut, seeing that Yuugi wasn't going to sit. The shorter of the two was tighter than a bowstring, every muscle held to perfect stillness. "You know who is the master of the Blue Eyes."

"And you know him as well, don't you," Yuugi shot back. "My memory of him is dim, but we have met. And you … I have met you as well, in my soul room, when you violated the sanctity of my mind."

For the first time, Shadi seemed surprised. His eyes widened slightly. "You remember …"

"Tell me," Yuugi said, his voice deepening. "Have you been digging into the minds of others like a rat since that day?"

"You are not Yuugi. You are the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle!"

"I am the part of Yuugi's mind that was unlocked by the Puzzle, yes," Yuugi corrected him.

"But you do not have the Puzzle," Shadi murmured. "How can you …?"

"Let us exchange information," Yuugi proposed. "_Quid pro quo._ You first." The smile on his lips was cold. "We will use the Scales."

The room grew colder as the Shadow Realm encroached on the office. The Scales materialized on the office desk, called from their hiding place; the Horus eye on it seemed to glare at both Yuugi and Shadi.

Shadi stared at Yuugi. "This is impossible," he breathed.

Yuugi ignored him. "The rules are simple," he said. "The truth only. I'm sure you know, the Scales will accept nothing less," he grinned, showing teeth.

Shadi grew grim at these announcements. "What is said here will not leave this room," he added. "As the possessor of the Scales, I have the right to make this condition."

"You do," Yuugi agreed. "Begin." He stepped slightly closer. "What is the name of the man who controls the Blue Eyes White Dragons?"

"Seto Kaiba," Shadi answered. The Scales tipped, filled with something insubstantial. "Wait, that is the truth," he protested.

"The truth for the truth," Yuugi reminded him. "Should one of us lie, the game will be over. Lies weigh much more than the truth, don't they? Ask your question."

Shadi pursed his lips imperceptibly. "How can you walk the earth without the Puzzle?"

"The Puzzle was shattered, and I have not been able to return to it since then. I do not know why or how," Yuugi answered, his eyes on Shadi. Between them, the Scale once again balanced itself. "My turn. Why would Pharaoh Malik hide from me the purpose of the Mausoleum?"

"I cannot answer that in full. I believe he is afraid of you," Shadi replied, tipping the Scales slightly once again. "As for me: were you the one that awakened the Sky Dragon Osiris last night?"

Yuugi reached into his pocket and pulled out the red scale he had carried since then. He placed it on the desk before the Scales. "Yes," he answered, and the Scales righted themselves. "Why would Malik be afraid of me?"

"He probably suspects that you are the Nameless Pharaoh, whom his family has been enthralled to since his untimely death," Shadi answered. The Scales tipped again, but he continued anyway. "I too believe this." The Scales tipped further.

Yuugi did not speak for a long moment, his face gone slightly pale. "You are the second person to suggest this to me," he said slowly, and the Scales righted themselves a bit. "Ask your question."

"Why do you serve Malik Ishtar?"

Yuugi's gaze still did not waver. "He has the Puzzle and he keeps it from me. I must reassemble it. What do you know about the Sky Dragon Osiris?"

Shadi gave the information willingly. "The Sky Dragon is one of three Shadow Gods. Each answered to the Nameless Pharaoh during the Eighteenth Dynasty and were entombed in _ka_ tablets in the Valley of the Kings. The first one, Osiris, was found by Malik and put under my care. The second one, Obelisk, was found by the Egyptologists that work on Cairo payroll. The third, Ra, was found by an archeologist named Petrov Kazynski from Russia, and is lost to Egypt."

The Scales began to tip—and Yuugi suddenly reached out, grasping the Scales. The Shadow Realm withdrew, leaving at the young man's command, and the room seemed to warm again, the earthen colors bleeding back in. "The command to keep these truths in this room is too much for this," Yuugi grit out.

"Why?" Shadi wanted to know.

"Three Gods that answer only to Pharaoh?" Yuugi's smirk was still cold, but he was sweating slightly. "If Malik does not know already, he will want to hear of this."

"Why should you tell him?" Shadi held Yuugi's gaze. "They are yours, Nameless Pharaoh."

"Because I will forfeit my title, if it is mine, to gain back my other self!" Yuugi snatched the scale of Osiris off the table and shoved it back in his pocket. "Nothing else matters."

Shadi was silent, but Yuugi's lip curled slightly. "Pharaoh Malik must fund your Mausoleum quite well, and there are other artifacts that you must protect there," he began. "Now, show your loyalty. The second God, Obelisk, you said nothing of it being lost. Where is it now?"

The tall Egyptian did not move at first. When he did, he bent down to his desk and produced a key, unlocking a hidden drawer. From it he pulled a thin file. "This has the information you seek," Shadi said, handing it to Yuugi. "Is that all, Master Mutou?"

Yuugi took the folder and flipped through the few pages there, his eyes settling on an address. "Yes," he replied, bowing in a way more traditional for the Japanese, with his hands at his sides. It wasn't very deep. "Master Shadi." He turned to the door and left, his shoulders only slightly less set than when he had arrived.

Shadi bowed after him, although Yuugi couldn't see it. "I serve only you, Pharaoh," he intoned, his eyes closed.

_Ende chapter 10_

_Thanks to olesia.love, Shamise, tavia454, and Aramis-chan for your reviews of the last chapter! Reviews are always appreciated and replied to._


	11. Judgment, part 1

**Chapter 11: Judgment (Part I)**

At seven-thirty PM precisely, a car arrived at the motel where Jonouchi and the others were staying. Kaiba was waiting outside. Ryou waited next to him, his hands clasped behind his back nervously.

The man who stepped out was not Shadi, however. He opened the back door for Seto and Bakura with a slight bow. "Master Shadi is inside, sirs."

Kaiba bent to look inside. Shadi was in the passenger's seat, looking back at him. "Get in, Seto Kaiba, Ryou Bakura. God awaits."

Kaiba snorted at this, but he climbed into the car. "Get in, Bakura," he ordered as soon as he was settled, and Ryou jumped in after him.

Ryou buckled his seatbelt as the car started forward; the atmosphere was oppressive. The driver was silent. Shadi remained seated facing straight ahead, and Kaiba leaned against the window, watching the scenery. Ryou studied his lap, feeling painfully out of place. The Ring was warm on his skin again, two pointers gently pressing into his shirt, pointing towards Shadi.

His clothes were slightly stiff and he felt dirty despite his shower earlier in the day. Kaiba had kindly paid for Ryou to eat with everyone (okay, Shizuka had insisted, and Jonouchi had argued that Ryou wouldn't be any good to Kaiba if he was starving), and Shizuka had explained about Shadow Magic, but he still felt completely out of his league. Kaiba had insisted on Ryou coming along because of the Ring – Ryou knew that much – but that didn't mean he could _do_ anything with it.

"Shadow Beings are monsters from the Shadow Realm," Shizuka had told Ryou. "They can't exist in the regular world. However, with Shadow Magic, they can pass from the Shadow Realm into our world." She paused here, her fingers brushing over the green jewel set in her right ear. "Once the Shadow Magic has dissipated, the Shadow Beings disappear as well."

Ryou had nodded, privately enjoying sitting next to the petite girl but not about to say as much. "Um, Shadow Magic is linked with the Millennium Items, right?" he asked.

"Right, usually," Shizuka had said with a tiny frown. "But lately, it seems like Shadow Magic is being created even without the Items … it's very strange." She bowed her head thoughtfully.

Ryou had rubbed the back of his head. "If you don't mind my asking … how do you call Shadow Beings, then? I mean, I'm into – well, I used to like occult things, but those spells weren't really …"

"Oh, it's nothing like a spell," Shizuka had hastened to assure him. "See this jewel?" She indicated her ear. "When there's Shadow Magic around, I can sort of … feel it," she explained carefully. "I'm not as sensitive to it as Kaiba-kun is, but still … ah, the first time I was near a Shadow Game, it was actually your fault. I mean, Bakura's fault," she said with a pensive smile. "Brother was hurt … and, well, I heard the Mystical Elf calling me. I was so scared for Brother, I was reaching out through the Shadow Realm for help … and she answered." Shizuka's smile was lightening even as she spoke. "She healed my brother and left me with this jewel … I wear it all the time now, especially with the life my brother and I lead. Whenever I need her, if there's Shadow Magic, I can call her out."

"Wow," Ryou had murmured. He had felt his side, keeping silent about the tattoo there that arched around his back and shoulder. "D-do you think … do you think they could be tattoos, too?"

Shizuka nodded. "Uh-huh! Brother's Red Eyes Black Dragon is called through a tattoo in his shoulder. I don't know why some are tattooed and some aren't, though …"

"No, it's all right," Ryou had quickly said, waving a hand. "I just wonder if I could call a Shadow Monster myself. It seems kind of exciting! Hah hah hah …"

Now, in the car, Ryou felt under the edge of his shirt for the slight indents of the tattoo. _What is your name, Shadow Being?_ He wondered. _I'm sure my other self called you from the Shadows and into my flesh, but would you serve me, too?_

The tattoo gave no answer, and the Ring was still warm and pulsing.

&

They didn't get to their destination until a quarter to nine. Shadi let himself out of the car. Before the driver could open the door for Seto, Kaiba was climbing out himself. Ryou followed him at a scramble.

The building was, like the Mausoleum, nondescript. It looked like a large warehouse. Kaiba surveyed it, his trench coat whipping in the breeze around his legs. The sun was near the horizon, red and hazy against the dunes in the distance.

"Follow me," Shadi ordered, starting forward, and the three of them strode towards the warehouse. Shadi had to use a key to open the door, but that seemed to be the only security measure.

Kaiba scoffed. "Sky Dragon Osiris is kept under one of the most advanced security systems Kaiba Corporation has to offer, but Obelisk is only under lock and key?" he asked.

Shadi did not look at him. "Obelisk is protected by secrecy. The only person who knows what is here is me. Not even Malik is aware of this place." He stepped into the pitch-black warehouse; the only light was the square patch on the floor from the open door.

Ryou stayed behind Kaiba as Shadi disappeared into the dark. After half a minute, the lights in the warehouse snapped on, revealing a brick-and-steel infrastructure. Ryou gazed around, shocked; the warehouse was huge, but there was nothing in it save one huge stone tablet.

The tablet depicted a looming monster. Horns adorned its head and a crown of flame sat between them. Kaiba looked at it with a certain stillness, his eyes narrowed.

Shadi came back to them, ushering them further inside as he shut the door. "Come, examine the tablet. It is authentic."

"I can feel that from here," Kaiba murmured.

"I-I don't want to go forward," Ryou said quietly, nervous. There were no shadows in this great warehouse – no Shadow Game, either. But Ryou was almost positive he could feel the tattoo on his side twitch, as if it wished to be elsewhere.

&

Rishid and Yuugi stood outside the great warehouse.

Rishid looked down at Mutou, whose face was stony and resolved. Whatever had happened to him while they slept – whatever had happened in Shadi's office earlier that day – Yuugi had returned to the pensive, still man that Rishid remembered. He had seemed unbalanced for some months now, just slightly; Rishid had not even noticed until the sensation had passed. This Mutou was the one grimly determined to do what Malik wanted, as quickly as possible, and return triumphant – rewarded with the Puzzle. The Egyptian decided that he was relieved; reporting weakness to his brother was something he felt loathe to do.

Mutou had come out of Shadi's office with a folder and a grim smile. Rishid had sensed the Shadow Magic and was a bit surprised that Yuugi had not walked out with the Millennium Key in hand and comatose Shadi at the desk, but he had not questioned Mutou when he informed Rishid that they were going to the address in the folder. "I cannot tell you why," Mutou had said. "Forgive me. When we lay eyes on what we seek, my tongue will be loosened."

"You were sworn to secrecy?" Rishid said, surprised that Mutou had agreed to such a thing.

"I was sworn to not speak of what I heard in that room – but there was no clause saying that I could not _act_ on it," Yuugi replied. The smile on his face was chilling, not altogether sane. "Although I cannot reveal so much as my intentions. The wording was too ambiguous to risk it."

Rishid had nodded his acquiesce. He had seen men Mutou had Penalty Gamed, drooling and in straitjackets. Whatever the Shadow Game had been, the secrecy clause would act on Yuugi in the same way – penalizing him for cheating. Why Yuugi would be able to speak of it after they had seen whatever Mutou was taking Rishid to, Rishid did not know. Mutou could navigate the Shadow Games like a skilled litigator, able to slip through loopholes and squeak out wins from nothing; he would know when he could speak, and Rishid did not question it.

Now they stood at the edge of the property the address in the folder had indicated. Mutou whipped his Ghoul cloak over his shoulders with dramatic flair, then started forward. "Let's go," he said grimly.

Rishid followed, drawing his hood up over his eyes.

&

"There is only one way to awaken the God," Shadi said.

"A Shadow Game, or Shadow Magic." This was Kaiba, who was looking at the _ka_ tablet still. He glanced over to Shadi. "You won't be playing me, however. Shadow Magic nearby should be enough to draw the spirit out." He smirked. "You'll be playing him." He pointed to Ryou.

"Me!?" Ryou squeaked, his eyes wide.

Shadi said nothing at first. When he did speak, it was with a mild tone. "Didn't I tell you?" he asked. "You will be _tested_ for your worthiness. To carry God – to carry an Item – it is a burden not everyone can bear." The warehouse's lights seemed to dim; Ryou gasped and reached down his shirt, pulling the Ring out and letting it thump against his shirt. He put on a show of bravado, straightening and clenching his fists at his sides. Kaiba stood stock still – a reaction in itself.

The Egyptian touched the Millennium Key that hung around his neck like a giant ankh. "The Key will unlock your souls," he said, "And your hearts will be weighed by God!"

&

Yuugi went to the first door he saw on the side of the warehouse. It was oddly abandoned, but then, if Malik didn't know about this place than there would be no Ghouls to guard it. However, if Shadi was true to Malik, no one who worked for Shadi would question the presence of Ghouls on their land. No one confronted them, and Yuugi attempted to twist the knob.

The door wouldn't budge. Yuugi grunted and shoved his shoulder against the door, but still it wouldn't open.

Rishid coughed into his fist. "Mutou."

Yuugi shot him a slightly annoyed look, but he stepped aside. Rishid walked to the door calmly – then kicked with all might. The door banged open, and dust sprang into the air, making Rishid's eyes water.

Yuugi coughed and waved his hand in front of his nose. "Odd," he said hoarsely. "If what we were looking for was here, then Shadi would surely check this place regularly. It wouldn't be coated with months of dust ..."

He stared into the dark warehouse – and then his hair seemed to stand on end.

&

A Shadow Game! Ryou was petrified, but he tried to look unfazed. He imagined himself glowering, his hand confidently going to the tattoo on his side …

"What is this?" Seto hissed, his hands still in his pockets.

"Call on God," Shadi answered, meeting his eyes. "If you cannot do that, then you will be destroyed by your own monsters."

Kaiba started to sneer, his fingers going to his neck. But at the same time, Ryou felt the tattoo on his side sear his skin. "Ah!" Ryou gasped, grasping his side.

"My Blue Eyes!" Kaiba cried, his tone furious.

Behind Shadi stood four great shadows. Three were monstrous dragons, their scaled skin pure white, their eyes sapphire blue. The fourth was like a demon, its skin leathery. Its teeth were sharp, dripping saliva; its sinuous body ended in a second head, a snake. Its arms looked as though they could break a man in half with hardly a care. It was the spitting image of the monster tattooed into Ryou's flesh.

"Call God," Shadi demanded. His face was like stone.

"I will tear your heart out and feed it to you," Kaiba hissed. "The Blue Eyes White Dragons are _mine!_"

Ryou said nothing. Fear rooted him to the spot.

&

There was no one in the warehouse. It stood dusty and unused, forgotten by time.

Yuugi snarled incoherently, infuriated. "If I had known the address would be here in Cairo, I would never have ended that Game early," he hissed. "But for him to trick me--!"

Yuugi whirled and stalked out of the warehouse, his eyes like fire. Rishid followed silently, trying not to show that he was unnerved – not even when Mutou abruptly crumpled to the ground.

&

On the other side of town, had Yuugi but known, he was going to have to get in line to kill the Egyptian Shadi. Seto was seeing red, he was so furious. The Blue Eyes White Dragons were his to command; he had called them from the _ka_ tablet himself, had never let them be possessed or mastered by another. And now, this _idiot_ dared to take them away and turn them on their master--!

"Will you?" Shadi asked, his voice raised. The roar of the Dragons nearly drowned him out. "I don't see how, when your own dragons will kill you first!"

Kaiba's teeth almost cracked from how hard he was gritting them together. One of his dragons started forward at a nod from Shadi, roaring at Kaiba. For the briefest moment, Kaiba was afraid before he steeled himself. He forced himself to smirk.

"Is this your plot to _make_ me call on Obelisk?" he asked, looking past his own Shadow Monster to Shadi. "You should know, no one forces me to do anything … I act of my own free will!"

He pressed his hand to the _ka_ tablet.

It was like holding a tuning fork; a vibrating sensation went up Kaiba's arm, into his brain.

_Set._

The name was not his thought. Kaiba closed his eyes, ignoring the sound of his Dragons approaching. They would never harm him. He did this because he wanted the power of God.

_Usurper of the throne! You dare to call me!?_

Seto clicked his teeth together. He still wasn't sure about this whole reincarnation thing, but for this, he would go with what worked. _You answer to Pharaoh, or so they say. I may not be Nameless, but I was Pharaoh! You dare to refuse me, you who are sworn to awaken at the Pharaoh's call!?_

The _ka_ tablet's image was shifting, seeming to draw closer. _I will crush you like dust._

_You will obey me, _Kaiba flared.

_YOU WILL OBEY HIM!_

The third voice resounded in Kaiba's head with accompanying _screech_ like an analog radio, giving him an instant headache. Still, he knew – somehow – that it was not directed at him.

Obelisk made no response that Kaiba could hear, but when he looked up, the God's massive body was rising out of the tablet, his groan like a terrible lion.

_I hear and obey, O Pharaoh,_ Obelisk intoned.

Seto decided that he wanted that to be directed towards himself, so he interpreted it that way.

&

Rishid was behind the driver's seat, driving back towards the hotel when Mutou opened his eyes. He blinked twice, then straightened in his seat, looking around with bewilderment. "Where are we?" he demanded.

"In the heart of Cairo," Rishid answered, glancing at him. "You collapsed, and I—"

"Go to the other side of town," Yuugi interrupted him. He glared out through the dashboard. "I'll tell you where to turn." He didn't even look to see Rishid nodding his assent.

Shadi had much to answer for.

_Chapter 11 Ende_

_go to my profile for the story 'God on Earth', which is about Yuugi and Malik's past._

_thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Shamise, tavia454, olesia.love, Isis the Sphinx, and Aramis-chan. I promise replies are coming tomorrow morning after I get some sleep. thank you again for reading and please review again!_


	12. Judgment, part 2

**Chapter 12: Judgment (Part II)**

Obelisk rose from the _ka_ tablet, towering to the ceiling of the warehouse. His massive body was the color of the Pacific ocean, his fists twice as tall as Kaiba himself as he loomed over the Blue Eyes White Dragons and Shadi. He had no lips, turning his blunt and terrible teeth into a mask of horror.

Shadi stared, his eyes wide. "So this is the power of Obelisk …"

Kaiba was awed as well, his heart pounding. That something this powerful would be under his control was unthinkable. However, he let none of this show on his face, his eyes narrowed and a thin smirk curling across his lips. "I have passed your test," he called. "God is on my side. End this game!"

"You have passed," Shadi breathed. "But there is one other who has not yet done the same."

&

"Turn here."

Rishid spun the wheel, grateful that traffic had thinned out this late in the evening. Yuugi gripped the dashboard, his face grim as he pointed the way.

The Egyptian had the sense that Mutou was not exactly seeing what was in front of him, but something much further away.

&

When Yuugi had crumpled at the warehouse, he had experienced something he had not thought to feel again before the Puzzle was complete; weightlessness as he shed his body. For a moment he was afraid, but before fear could really get a grip on him, he heard voices.

_Usurper of the throne! You dare to call me!?_

_You answer to Pharaoh, or so they say. I may not be Nameless, but I was Pharaoh! You dare to refuse me, you who are sworn to awaken at the Pharaoh's call!?_

Yuugi could see it; he could see Obelisk the Tormentor, his fingers curled around the upstart that had called on his power. He could see who the 'usurper' was.

In the shadows, Yuugi felt a start of recognition. He was taller now, and there was, unbelievably, no darkness in him. It should have been impossible – _would_ have been impossible – but for an event nearly seven years before, one that Yuugi remembered dimly.

_Seto Kaiba, the master of the Blue Eyes White Dragons!_

This was Shadi's work. Yuugi had no doubt, and fury closed his throat. Whether the Gods were Yuugi's birthright or not, Obelisk would crush Kaiba … and Yuugi did not want that to happen. It was a bizarre, professional pride that his Penalty Game had driven the darkness from Kaiba; he did not want to see his work go to waste.

Yuugi was not entirely certain that he would be disappointed if the power of Obelisk overwhelmed Shadi's soul and sent him to oblivion, either.

_YOU WILL OBEY HIM! _Yuugi ordered.

In his dream-vision, Obelisk turned his terrible face to Yuugi. His fingers uncurled from Kaiba's spirit. _I hear and obey, O Pharaoh._

Yuugi nodded, feeling at once uncomfortable in his own skin and fully within his rights. He faded away, and when he woke up, he was buckled into a car seat, his head lolling against the back.

He knew where to go; the Shadow Game called to him like a siren song from all the way across the sprawling city of Cairo.

&

The monster that had sprung from Ryou's side was still for a long moment, its eyes on the rising form of Obelisk. Obelisk did not look back, its great body towering over Shadi. But between the monster and the god, Ryou was absolutely petrified. He couldn't speak and could barely think. _I don't know anything. I don't know anything, _he thought, his mind running circles. _I've got to think of something but I can't call on a god to save me, maybe Kaiba will save me no no no NO—!_

The monster turned back to Ryou, teeth glistening. Ryou clutched at the Ring, held it up so the topmost part of the Ring touched his chin, like a meager shield. He swallowed heavily. Part of him wanted to turn and run; a more terrified part kept him still, his knees shaking.

"He is with me," Kaiba was hissing at Shadi. "This game is over!"

"It is not," Shadi answered, unmoved. "He will be judged, whether he dies from it or not."

The great fist of the monster lashed out at Ryou, and he cried out in terror, stumbling back and falling onto his back. The monster advanced, its second head hissing and snapping. Ryou could see himself being torn apart by the monster, equal parts feeding both heads.

_I'm being tested, _Ryou thought, scrambling back on his arms and legs as the monster advanced slowly, too slowly … almost as if it was enjoying the chase. _Tested for whether or not I can bear the Millennium Ring. But it's mine! I wouldn't give it to anyone, no matter what …! _He clutched the Ring again, his fingers trembling against it. It was so hot it almost seemed to blister his skin.

"You can't have the Ring!" he shouted, not sure who he was talking to: the monster, or Shadi. "It's mine! And that monster … i-it's mine as well!"

"Yet you cannot control it?" Shadi responded.

"That doesn't matter," Ryou gasped as the monster loomed. "That doesn't matter. It's mine. My father gave it to me because he loves me. It's mine. I won't let anyone take it … not anyone!" He shouted.

The Ring in his hand pulsed, and there was a sensation that Ryou couldn't put words to. It took his breath. The creeping cold seemed to seep into his skin, numbing his hands and chest … but the darkness around him became familiar. It became his _own._

The monster before him did not advance. It was still menacing and terrifying; it made Ryou's voice stick in his throat. But he managed, hoarsely, to say, "Come back, now. You're mine, after all." His teeth chattered slightly.

But the image of the monster shattered before him; Ryou gasped as it again seared his skin, settling back into his tattoo.

Then Ryou fainted dead away.

&

Yuugi leapt out of the car before it had even stopped moving, somersaulting across the gravel and coming up running, pounding towards the door to the warehouse. "Mutou! Wait!" Rishid called, slamming on the brakes and leaping out of the car after Mutou, the car forgotten.

It was too bad for the door that it was in Yuugi's way this time; with a roar of fury, Yuugi slammed his boot against the lock. The door cracked against the frame so hard it bent. The door flew open, banging off the wall, and Yuugi disappeared inside, the Horus Eye on his forehead gleaming in the last of the Egyptian sunset.

&

"_Now_ this game is over," Shadi said, his grip on the Key relaxing. "You have called Obelisk the Tormentor from his sleep."

"Why was this so imperative? Why _me? _Besides supposedly being the Nameless Pharaoh's successor," Kaiba wanted to know. Above him, the god huffed a heavy breath like a blast from a furnace.

"The Pharaoh cannot know of Obelisk yet: not until he is ready to claim his title as his own," Shadi answered. "Until then, it would be best to entrust his power to you." The Shadow Realm began to fade away, the warehouse's lights properly brightening the space again.

The Blue Eyes returned to Kaiba's pendant; he felt them do so, warming his skin gently. Obelisk the Tormentor dissolved, his body pouring like sand into the ground. The only part of him that remained was a jewel, perfectly round, yellow and blue in turns with a cats-eye slash of black in its center. It fell into Kaiba's palm, where it felt foreign and heavy. Kaiba wrapped his fingers around it.

"Entrust it … as if I would ever relinquish something so powerful," Kaiba murmured. Behind him, Ryou stirred, arousing as the Shadows retreated.

As he spoke, the door to the warehouse banged open.

The silhouette there cut a … not exactly menacing figure. He was diminutive and narrow, all sharp angles. Even his hair, crowning his head like a five-pointed star, looked almost as if it could cut.

"Shadi!" The person roared. "It's a shame that you're still standing! You should have prayed that Obelisk would send you to oblivion, because what I will do to you will be _far worse!_"

It was Yuugi Mutou. The hair was easy to recognize, he realized, shocked. He was clearly older, his face sharper, his eyes no longer so wide; it had been years since Kaiba had last seen this person, after all.

The last time they had met had been Kaiba's first Shadow Game, seven years previous.

"Mutou," Kaiba gasped, but Yuugi paid him no mind. Shadi was silent; when Seto looked at him, he seemed impassive and unimpressed, but Kaiba doubted it was a reflection of reality.

"Pharaoh," Shadi said.

Mutou sneered. "You nearly condemned Seto Kaiba to death, fool," he hissed, crossing the room. A Horus Eye was on his forehead, glowing; Kaiba felt slightly ill at it, but he pushed the feeling down furiously. He wasn't afraid! "I saved him by sheer luck, but I think it would be appropriate if his near fate was yours. What do you think?"

Shadi opened his mouth, but Mutou gave him no chance to answer. "Shadow Game! The strongest monster wins! But ah, you don't have one, do you!?" Mutou's lips pulled back from his teeth. "_Obelisk the Tormentor, come—"_

"MUTOU!"

The word was roared from the entrance to the warehouse. Kaiba whirled at the same time as Yuugi, their eyes going to the Egyptian there. His face was deeply and regularly scarred, and inwardly Kaiba cringed at the deliberateness of it. "Stop," the Egyptian ordered. "This is not right."

Mutou glared at him, holding his gaze for a long, chilling moment. But finally, the Horus Eye on his forehead closed and disappeared. He bowed his head. "Forgive me. You are right, as always, Rishid." He looked back up at Shadi, who had not moved an inch. Kaiba realized that the Key bearer had been rooted to the spot in fear.

Kaiba also realized, abruptly, that Yuugi Mutou did not have the Puzzle around his neck.

The Puzzle. Kaiba knew enough about Shadow Games now to know that it was what had allowed Yuugi to draw him into a Shadow Game all those years before. But just now, without an Item, he had been about to start a Shadow Game ...

It was impossible. _Impossible._ Just like the second Shadow Game the night before.

Kaiba was a quick thinker. One could not use Shadow Magic and not be able to think on one's feet. His mind churned as the realizations came: Yuugi Mutou was the bearer of the soul of the Pharaoh. He had no Puzzle but could start Shadow Games. Someone had called the God Osiris from the _ka_ tablet the night before.

Mutou had done it. Mutou had _done_ it. And Obelisk would bow before his power before he would bow before Seto Kaiba.

Now Mutou gazed around, his eyes falling on first Kaiba, then Ryou. He seemed unsurprised by Seto's presence, but his eyes widened slightly at Bakura. "The Bearer of the Millennium Ring," he said.

Ryou met his gaze almost sheepishly from where he sat on the floor. His fingers clutched the Ring still. "Still not selling it," he said breathlessly.

Mutou smirked thinly. Seto could easily reconcile this Mutou with the one he remembered, but not so easily with the one Jonouchi and the others described when they talked about him. "It's yours now, more so than it was," Mutou observed, but he didn't look any less interested. "So many treasures in here." _And I could take them all_, he visibly thought.

Kaiba brushed his fingers against the lapel of his trench coat. "You're needed," he said.

&

Outside the warehouse, Jonouchi punched the air with delight at the brief transmission. He had only stayed in place before because of ANZU's hand on his shoulder, pinning him in place with unnatural strength. Of course, it had been hard for all of them when Yuugi – Yuugi! – had gone running into the warehouse like a man possessed, but Kaiba's order still stood: stay in place until he called, if he called.

Kaiba didn't trust anyone, and apparently, it had paid off.

Honda snapped on his radio. "Move in," he ordered. "Guard the perimeter." He rose to his feet, loading his handgun, and started over the hill that overlooked the nondescript warehouse. Jonouchi followed, and Anzu was between them, unarmed but no less dangerous for it.

"Good luck!" Shizuka whispered after them, starting back for the Safety Point.

Around the warehouse, three more teams of three started towards the warehouse, all ready for combat. Except for Honda, Shizuka, Jonouchi, and Anzu, they all believed they were infiltrating an old NO hideout.

&

Yuugi now turned his attention to Kaiba. "I loaned you the power of Obelisk," he said, "Because I didn't want you to die. Now, hand over the token he left you."

Kaiba held it back. "Why would I give you something so powerful?" he demanded. "You should know: I don't _borrow._ I _take._"

Mutou didn't falter. "I thought I crushed the darkness in your mind."

"You did," Kaiba hissed. "But you didn't destroy my personality. Obelisk is _mine._"

Mutou's jaw clenched behind closed lips. The Egyptian who had accompanied him was silent, seeming to wait to see what Yuugi would do.

"Yuugi!"

"Yuugi, oh my god …"

Mutou's eyes widened and unfocused, and he whirled back to the door.

Jonouchi and the ANZU unit were coming in, followed closely by Honda. Honda's gun whipped up and pointed at Mutou's companion. "Stay put!" But Jonouchi and ANZU had only eyes for Yuugi, their little friend practically come back from the dead.

Yuugi, for his part, was visibly shocked. "A-Anzu? Jonouchi—mmph!"

Jonouchi wrapped his arms around Yuugi, actually picking up the young man in the tightness of his hug. "You're alive! Shit, we've been worried sick, you little jerk!"

Yuugi's fingers twitched. Kaiba tucked the token of Obelisk into his pocket with a sharp laugh.

Shadi, for his part, was glaring at him. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Hmm. A secret location. Being taken there by a man who's associated with our enemy. Did you really think I would trust you as far as I could throw you!?" Kaiba mocked. "I had my men follow, just in case. And considering that Mutou just busted your game wide open, I'd say you're damned lucky!"

_Ende Chapter 12_

_Thanks to olesia.love, Peach Wookiee, Shamise, and Taranea for their reviews of chapter 11! More to come in the near future!_


	13. Chains of Friendship

**Chapter 13: Chains of Friendship**

Yuugi found himself lifted off the ground as Jonouchi hugged him, squeezing his chest until Yuugi had to cough. "J-Jonouchi … can't breathe …"

"Huh?" Jonouchi put him down – then slugged him in the shoulder, and not gently. Yuugi 'oof'ed and clutched his shoulder, staring at him. "That's for making us worry," Jonouchi smirked.

Yuugi couldn't find anything to say. His tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth. Before he could gather himself enough to formulate a reply, though, he was swept up into another bone-crushing hug, this one from Anzu.

"Yuugi, oh Yuugi," Anzu murmured, pressing her face against his neck as she clung to him. "We really thought … we thought the worst … it's been so long …"

Yuugi lowered his face a little, smelling machine oil and some kind of peach perfume on the back of Anzu's neck. He forced his arms up; they moved jerkily, like marionettes, and he wrapped them around Anzu. It was the appropriate response, he thought, even though he was completely at a loss. "I'm sorry," he said hesitantly. Beyond Anzu and Jonouchi he could see Honda, his gun leveled on Rishid, but his eyes were on Yuugi. Their eyes met briefly before Yuugi turned his head away, grimacing slightly.

His memory of these three were dim; he remembered Anzu the most, remembered her _best_ blindfolded in a tension-filled room, a gun like Honda's cocked against her side and the smell of alcohol burning. He knew the rest of the memories weren't really _his_, but off the three of them, Anzu had changed the least. She still looked young, her hair cut in the same fashion as in high school. Jonouchi's hair was cropped shorter, keeping it out of his eyes, and like Honda, he had broadened through the shoulders.

"All right, enough of the teary reunions," Kaiba interrupted, and Anzu started to pull away. Yuugi let his arms fall limply to his sides, trying to digest this development.

Then Anzu slapped him.

Yuugi's head turned with the blow. "Don't you ever scare us like that again!" Anzu snapped, tears in her eyes. "How dare you never even try to contact us!"

Yuugi gripped his cheek and stared at her. "Anzu, I – it's—" _It's complicated, unbelievably complicated._ He couldn't do anything in the face of these people who were so precious to his aibou. He couldn't explain to them – not with Rishid there, his eyes passive as he listened and patiently endured the gun pointed at his head. "I … can't stay."

"Oh, no?" Kaiba said archly, drawing Yuugi's eyes to him. The Blue Eyes master had his arms crossed over his chest. "Because you're working for Malik now?"

"What do you know about that?" Yuugi hissed.

"We know you were in the Mausoleum, that you were the one that confronted Bakura," Kaiba answered, his smirk triumphant. "And Shadi told us the rest."

Yuugi grit his teeth, shooting a glare at Shadi. _You fool!_ But Shadi merely looked at him, silent and still as a statue.

"What do you think Malik will pay to have his little Shadow-Gaming lackey back?" Kaiba asked idly. "A God, perhaps?"

"He would pay nothing for me," Yuugi replied through clenched teeth. "Don't be a fool."

"Why can't you stay?" Anzu asked, still perilously close to Yuugi. Yuugi resisted the urge to take a step back and get out of her slapping range. "What's so important that you can't stay with your friends? The _Puzzle?_" Her tone was hurt.

"It's not like that," Yuugi tried to assure her. "It's complicated."

"Then explain it to us." This was Honda, speaking from across the room. "We've got time." But just beyond him was Rishid, and this was going to get back to Pharaoh Malik. There was no avoiding it. Yuugi clenched his teeth again. _Face the fact that you will not be allowed the Puzzle for months and just get this over with!_

"It is the Puzzle," he admitted, watching Anzu warily. "But not what you think. It was shattered …"

"We'll get it back, Yuugi," Jonouchi interrupted. "_Together_. Come on, we finally find you and you're just gonna take off again?"

"I can't wait that long!" Yuugi snapped. Gathering himself, he tried to find the words to explain about the 'other' Yuugi, that he wasn't who they thought he was, that if they ever wanted to see their Yuugi again they would have to let him go—

"Oh!" The exclamation came from Ryou, who until now had been watching the proceedings in silence. Everyone turned to look at him curiously. He dropped his fist into his open palm. "I remember now! You said your situation was similar to mine, right?"

Yuugi frowned slightly. "I—"

"So you have a split personality that has to do with your Millennium Item, too," Ryou guessed. "But for some reason, you actually like yours, so want the Puzzle back. Am I right?" he asked.

Yuugi said nothing, but Jonouchi was looking at Yuugi. "Looks like you hit the nail on the head, Ryou," he said. Yuugi tore his eyes away from Ryou to look at Jonouchi, who was giving him a suspicious look. A glance at Anzu indicated confused betrayal. Yuugi felt his gut twist in his stomach.

"So who's this guy?" Honda asked after a pause, indicating Rishid with his gun. "Your keeper?"

"That is Rishid Ishtar, the brother of Malik Ishtar," Shadi said, speaking for the first time since Yuugi had nearly attacked him. "The _beloved_ brother," he added after a moment, looking at Kaiba.

Yuugi looked at Kaiba as well; the man had a calculating look in his eyes. "Interesting." He could see the gears turning in his head, the hope of ransom there.

"Yuugi," Rishid said, his voice low. Yuugi knew what Rishid was trying to tell him; it was time to leave, come hell or high water. They were sorely outnumbered, which would normally not be a problem, but Yuugi couldn't Shadow Game his aibou's friends. He _wouldn't._

"ANZU! Take Mutou," Kaiba suddenly ordered.

One second passed before Anzu responded. In that second, Yuugi dove between Jonouchi's legs, briefly thankful for having never grown much over five feet. This caused Jonouchi to stumble, squawking, and Anzu reached out to steady him before saying "Affirmative," in an oddly dead voice.

Yuugi somersaulted and came to his feet, only to dive again, this time at Honda. Honda shouted in alarm, turning his gun – but he wouldn't shoot. None of these people would shoot Yuugi, and he took shameless advantage of that. Yuugi tackled Honda to the ground by sheer momentum, knocking the gun from his hands. "Go, Rishid," he ordered, struggling to keep Honda down long enough to let Rishid escape. To Rishid's credit, he didn't question Yuugi – he merely turned and was out the door.

Hands grabbed Yuugi's shoulders and pulled him bodily off of Honda; the grip shifted to yank his elbows back until they almost touched behind his back, making him stand on his toes and effectively immobilizing him without much pain. Yuugi didn't struggle; he craned his neck to see who was holding him back with sheer strength.

It was Anzu. His eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Yuugi," she said quietly.

"No, it's fine," Yuugi answered, just as quietly. Honda got up off the floor, dusting himself off and glowering at Yuugi; Jonouchi looked nonplussed.

"Capture the Egyptian," Kaiba was ordering into his lapel. He looked at Yuugi from beyond the little circle of friends. "I've got nine men out there. Do you think he's going to manage to pass them?"

Yuugi met his eyes. "Rishid can take care of himself," he answered.

"You're really different," Jonouchi observed, his voice low.

Yuugi looked away. "Ryou is right about the Puzzle. I'm not the same Yuugi."

"Of course you're not. You were kidnapped by this Malik person," Anzu protested. "Whatever he did to you, he made you think that it had to do with the Puzzle being shattered … made it so you couldn't leave it behind. What did he do to you …?"

"He can Shadow Game people without an Item," Kaiba said, looking straight at Yuugi. "Isn't that right, Bakura?"

"… Yes," Ryou said hesitantly. "He almost did it to Shadi."

"He is the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle in Yuugi's body," Shadi said, approaching as well. "Somehow, Yuugi Mutou has been ejected, and this is what is left."

Yuugi set his jaw as the condemning words fell on him. Anzu's fingers squeezed his elbows gently. "Yuugi …"

"'Zat true, Yuugi?" Jonouchi asked, sounding betrayed.

_And despite everything, if I were to deny it, Anzu, Jonouchi, and Honda would all stand by me. Aibou, your friends are incredible … forgive me for what I'm about to do._

"It's true," Yuugi said, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "I'm sorry."

"Then what happened to _our_ Yuugi?" Anzu sounded as if she was either on the verge of tears again or about to hit Yuugi on principle.

"It has to do with the Puzzle. I need it if I want to restore him," Yuugi answered, opening his eyes again to gaze at the floor.

"And why should we believe you?" Honda asked, his voice tight. Dimly Yuugi remembered the tone; it was how Honda sounded when he was trying not to be visibly upset.

"Whether you believe me or not, I will do what I must," Yuugi answered. "So, I ask you again: let me go."

"Don't. Ishtar will be back for him, and I want a foothold on Malik," Kaiba ordered.

Anzu's fingers remained perfectly still. "Affirmative," she said again in that dead voice. _What the hell is that? Anzu would never have taken orders from anyone, much less Seto Kaiba …_ But that wasn't important at the moment. Yuugi lifted his gaze to Shadi, meeting his eyes. _Shadi, this will not be forgotten. I will take the Key and the Scales from you in due time._

"Then I'm going to escape," he said. "Right now." He shifted his gaze to Kaiba as the Horus Eye on his forehead opened. "Shadow Game!"

&

Kaiba met Yuugi's gaze just in time to see the Horus Eye on his forehead gleaming. "Shadow Game!" Mutou shouted.

The entire warehouse seemed to fade away, spinning out of Seto's vision. The pendant around his neck glowed briefly, then faded; the darkness was perfect.

Mutou stepped forward out of the shadows, freed from the ANZU unit somehow. Despite the perfect darkness, Seto found he could see Mutou without difficulty. "Welcome to a perfect Shadow Realm," Mutou said, opening his arms to indicate the nothingness they were standing in. "You have been challenged. Do you accept?"

There was no good reason for Kaiba to accept the game. In the real world, he had Mutou completely at his mercy. Still, his pride was hurt by the thought of forfeiting. "Why should I?" he asked archly.

"Maybe you don't understand," Mutou said idly. "We are completely in this Realm; in the natural realm, we've both disappeared. If you don't accept, my escape is as good as done; I can navigate the Shadow Realm as easily as a child might navigate the neighborhood he's lived in his whole life. If you accept, you can choose your stakes."

"You …" Kaiba growled.

"Time is ticking, Kaiba. Neither you nor I can last long in this Realm."

"I accept! If I win, you'll submit."

"Very well! If I win, I will take the token of Obelisk," Yuugi smirked. "Now, listen! The rules are simple. We may not touch each other, nor attack one another, with Shadow Beings or otherwise. Shadow Beings are banned from this game. Whomever finds the exit first wins, but the exit must be found under your own power; no using monsters to escape."

Around them, immense walls seemed to spring up. Kaiba stared as they rose twenty feet over his head; when he looked left and right, he could see corridors leading off in various directions, but no obvious exit. "What is this?" he asked.

"I think it's obvious," Yuugi answered with a shrug. "It's a maze."

"And if neither of us find the exit?" Kaiba grit out.

"You mean, if one or both of us collapse from this Realm before the game is over?" Mutou thought this over. "If either of us fall, the game will end; the other will be the victor. I'll give you that mercy; it's not you I want to condemn to this Realm forever." His smile was lopsided and frightening, his teeth sharp. "I'll give you a ten second head start. Begin!"

"I won't accept a head start," Kaiba snapped. "We'll both go in opposite directions. I choose this way." He started walking.

"All right," Yuugi agreed, laughter in his voice. Kaiba didn't look back.

&

It seemed like an eternity.

Kaiba's memory was extraordinarily good, but Mutou's probably was as well. He realized he had gone in a circle at one point and forced himself to choose another way. He didn't see Mutou, nor could he hear him; the silence was deafeningly loud.

Meanwhile, his heart seemed to pick up its pace. Kaiba could feel himself starting to sweat. His limbs felt heavy. _So this is the Shadow Realm, _he thought. He had never spent so long here before, and he could see why Mutou said neither of them would last long.

Finally, finally, after what might have been hours, he saw the exit; it was a single corridor with no walls beyond it, but nothing exciting. Kaiba jogged towards it, looking this way and that for a sign of Mutou. "I win," he panted as he crossed the doorway. "Mutou!" he shouted. "I won! It's over!"

There was no reply, but a folded paper fluttered down from the nothingness above him. Kaiba snatched it out of the air and opened it in confusion.

_Kaiba,_

_You were too slow._

_I've taken my prize already. You'll find yourself where you started when you finish reading this note._

_Thank you for aiding my escape! I couldn't have done it without you._

_Yuugi Mutou_

_Or as you prefer it, the Spirit of the Puzzle_

Kaiba reached for his pocket where the token of Obelisk was, but the pocket was empty. Kaiba let out a howl of frustration, and when he opened his eyes, he was on his knees in the warehouse.

Yuugi was gone.

_Ende Chapter 13_

_Thank you to Isis the Sphinx, olesia.love, Eight-Less, tavia454, Shamise, and Aramis-chan for their reviews of chapter 12. Reviews appreciated and replied to!_


	14. Aftermath

**Chapter 14: Aftermath**

Kaiba would have demanded to know what had happened, but no one was in the warehouse any more. Kaiba got to his feet, cursing, and ran out the door. His chest still hurt, and he stumbled; he caught himself on the doorframe.

Outside, two of his men lay on their backs, unconscious; the others were either tending to them or looking dazed. Three were missing. ANZU was over one of the unconscious men, and Ryou was hovering behind her, looking pale and out of his depth just as he had all day.

Honda and Jonouchi were at the edge of the field, talking into a radio and shaking their heads. Kaiba strode over to them. "What happened!?" he demanded, furious.

Jonouchi and Honda turned to look at him as one. Jonouchi looked miserable; Honda's lips were set in a straight, angry line. "You mean after Yuugi challenged you to a Shadow Game and you both disappeared?" Jonouchi asked, sounding bitter.

"Yes," Kaiba hissed.

"There was screaming outside, everyone was in a freaking panic." Jonouchi waved his hand around the field. "We came out, and that dragon you and Shadi talked about – it was in the sky. Nothing could make a dent in it. It, uh … was just a distraction in the end. Yuugi got away with that shitface Rishid."

Kaiba grit his teeth. "The Sky Dragon Osiris," he growled. "Yuugi was with it?"

"He came running out of the warehouse _after_ us," Honda explained. "Can't explain that one. The dragon wouldn't let anyone near him … his nose was bleeding."

Jonouchi pounded his fist into his hand. "I can't believe this! Is it Yuugi or not!? He's completely different, but y'know—"

"You remember that criminal in Burger World …" Honda trailed off.

"It was Yuugi that burned the guy. Played a game with him," Jonouchi remembered. "It was really gutsy and really creepy at the same time, but no denying that was Yuugi sitting there. You don't think that was this … this spirit guy, do you?"

"He was kidnapped by Malik," Honda said, their conversation increasingly ignoring Kaiba's presence. "Who knows what happened to him there. Even forgetting this Puzzle spirit stuff, we can't expect him to be the same as the Yuugi we remember."

Kaiba interrupted. "We can break down Mutou's psychology later. Three men are missing. Where are they?"

"They were tailing Yuugi's car," Jonouchi started.

"Lost him just before you got out here, though. That Rishid guy can drive," Honda grumbled.

"Shit," Kaiba swore, startling both Jonouchi and Honda. Kaiba rarely swore. He ignored them and continued, "Where's Shadi?"

Jonouchi and Honda both gave him nonplussed looks, their mouths open. "Uh," Jonouchi began, his eyes sweeping over the area around the warehouse.

"Haven't seen him since the attack," Honda admitted.

Kaiba's jaw twitched. "Good," he said bluntly. "Get those men back here and get every body you can spare. We're taking the tablet."

"O—what?" Jonouchi asked, wide-eyed.

"You heard me," Kaiba said flatly. "The _ka_ tablet. We're taking it. Shadi's playing both sides, he should know he could get burned."

Honda just nodded, but Jonouchi grabbed Kaiba's elbow, turning him away and half-shoving him a few feet across the sandy dirt. "Hey! You – you did get Obelisk, right? I mean, didn't he leave you with a token or something?"

Kaiba yanked his elbow out of Jonouchi's grip. "Mutou took it from me."

The look Jonouchi got on his face was both unsettling and satisfying, but it quickly settled into a simply confused face, one eyebrow raised. "No way. Why would he …?"

"It was his price for winning the Shadow Game. And if you repeat a word of that to anyone …"

"Yeah, yeah, you never lose, blah blah blah," Jonouchi grumbled, mimicking Kaiba with a flapping hand like a sock puppet. "I'm liking this 'new' Yuugi less and less."

"You have to give him credit," Kaiba said after listening to Jonouchi grumble under his breath for a bit. Jonouchi looked up at him doubtfully, and Kaiba smirked. "He's loyal."

&

In the car, Yuugi lay on the back seat, a handkerchief pressed to his nose as he tilted his head back to stem the blood flow.

"You're stretching yourself too thin," Rishid accused, leaning over the front seat to look at him. The underground parking lot they were in was dim, and Yuugi was thankful; his head was pounding. He could hear his blood thumping in his ears, and his breathing was shallow. If playing a Shadow Game was hard on his heart, playing a prolonged Shadow Game in a perfect Shadow Realm and summoning a Shadow Being – all without the aid of an Item – was far too much.

Yuugi ignored this statement for nearly a full minute, concentrating on taking deep, steady breaths. "… Your driving is amazing as always," he said finally, smiling under the kerchief.

"… You saved both of us with the Sky Dragon," the Egyptian replied in a low voice, but he asked no questions about Yuugi's new Shadow Being. Yuugi noted this dimly as Rishid continued. "I disabled three of the soldiers outside, and Serket was effective, but they were armed."

"Your gunshot wound?" Yuugi asked, rolling his eyes to Rishid without changing his position.

"Just a glancing blow." Yuugi couldn't see it from his position, but he knew that Rishid's hand was clamped against his thigh; even being clipped by a bullet was a serious thing.

"We should go to a hospital. Call the NO and get them to escort us," Yuugi suggested.

"That may not be wise. They have the Ring with them." Rishid did not have to explain his concern about the use of Shadow Magic for Yuugi to understand.

"Ryou Bakura only learned of the Ring last night at best," Yuugi answered. "He's not going to be experienced in its use. Even if we were found in this huge city, if he were to—"

"No," Rishid answered, his voice flat. "You will not use Shadow Magic again today." It was rare for Rishid to command Yuugi, but he had the authority to do so.

Yuugi closed his mouth and nodded, resisting the urge to sniffle and disrupt the clots that would be forming in his nasal cavity by now. He carefully removed the handkerchief from his nose and sat up, cupping his hands against his lips; his head spun. He fell back against the seat.

"You need care," he said wearily.

"You need rest."

"We're not arguing about who is going to take care of whom," Yuugi grumbled, crossing his arms. "You have the authority to choose, so choose. I've given you my opinion on the matter."

"Are you well enough to properly wrap my leg?" Rishid asked.

Yuugi dabbed a finger under his nose; it came away dry. He probably looked terrible, but other than the headache and dizziness, he would be all right. He nodded.

"The first aid kit is in the passenger's seat."

Yuugi knew exactly enough first aid to hopefully save Rishid's life, should he need it; it was one of the few things Yuugi was grateful to Pharaoh Malik for having him learn. He reached for the kit and opened the side door, half-stumbling out of the car and coming to Rishid's side.

Rishid had done his own shoddy bandaging job. It was a lucky thing the wound was on the leg not used for driving, or he and Yuugi would have been caught immediately. Rishid was reluctant to pull his hand away, but he finally did, and Yuugi winced even as he began to undo the gauze. Rishid was impassive; he had endured far worse than this.

Yuugi ripped Rishid's pants further open; the wound was still bleeding sluggishly and was open. He went to clean the wound with iodine. "You really should get stitches," he complained, pausing to breathe when he saw double.

"It will be fine," Rishid answered. "I'll be limping for a few days." Abruptly, he changed the subject. "So, those were your friends from before."

Yuugi hesitated for just a moment, his fingers brushing the rolled gauze in the aid kit, but there was no point in denying it. "Yes," he answered shortly.

Rishid said nothing. Yuugi ripped off pieces of medical tape and stuck them to the side of his hand before pressing clean pads of gauze against Rishid's wound gently. Holding them in place with one hand, he reached for the roll of gauze again.

"They are very loyal. You must miss them," Rishid murmured.

Yuugi swallowed, a pang of guilt hitting him again. He didn't think he'd even known what guilt was before aibou, but it was there all the same. He set his jaw and lifted his eyes, meeting Rishid's eyes. "What do you want me to say, Rishid? You know where my loyalties lie."

"Yes. With the Puzzle," Rishid answered, meeting Yuugi's eyes with unusual hardness. "Were it not for that, you would turn on my brother in an instant. Tell me, what do you think of Master Malik?"

Yuugi felt briefly as if a security blanket had been ripped from his hands. He dropped his eyes back to his task. "I cannot answer that," he said breathlessly. "Not to you. Hold this still," he ordered, indicating the gauze against Rishid's wound.

Rishid obeyed. "Why not, Yuugi Mutou? Why can you not be honest?" Yuugi didn't answer, his fingers deftly rolling the gauze around Rishid's leg to apply pressure to the wound. "… Answer me."

Yuugi flinched. "My opinion is not good."

"Yet you follow his orders."

Yuugi grit his teeth, resisting the urge to pull the gauze too tight. "Of course. You said it yourself. I obey because of the Puzzle."

Rishid mercifully fell silent again. Yuugi finished wrapping the gauze, then began to tape it in place, hoping to let this whole conversation slide and be forgotten.

"… you push away your friends for the sake of the Puzzle, as my brother pushes his family away for the sake of the Rod and his title." Rishid's voice was sorrowful when he finally spoke; Yuugi saw out of the corner of his eye when Rishid's fist clenched. "Can you explain it to me?"

The question was earnest. Yuugi opened his mouth, then closed it again, getting to his feet now that his task was done. No easy words came to him.

"I wish I could," he answered. "But I think we are motivated by very different things."

&

&

"I don't think this is very smart," Honda informed Kaiba as they watched the great tablet of Obelisk being moved from the warehouse. The men Kaiba had brought in were from his own company, although there were no emblazoned Kaiba Corporation logos on the moving truck or the plane the _ka_ tablet would go to next. In the darkness, they were nearly invisible, working with only flashlights. "We're alienating our best source of information, even if the guy is a prick."

Honda, Kaiba, and Bakura were the only three people left of the original team. The ANZU unit had gone with Jonouchi to meet Shizuka and insure that the injured parties were taken care of. Ryou was here as a precaution, should Yuugi return with Rishid to see to the tablet – as the bearer of an Item, he had the best chance to combat Yuugi, although he had no skill or control. He was silent, standing a little ways from Honda and Kaiba; his fingers continuously traced a circle against his shirt, clearly trailing around the Ring.

Honda felt it was stupid to trust him, but at the same time he couldn't quite help it. The white-haired Englishman was open and visibly lost, and Honda felt like it was his duty to look out for the poor kid, possessed by a spirit – just as Yuugi was. Or had been. Or still was …

It was confusing and frustrating. Yuugi hadn't denied that he wasn't really _Yuugi, _but was really someone else in his skin. He professed to want to rescue Yuugi – claimed this had to do with the Puzzle somehow – but Honda was forced to be skeptical. For now, he'd hold this 'Yuugi' to be as trustworthy as Ryou's split personality or spirit or whatever.

For whatever reason, 'Yuugi' was more loyal to Malik than to his friends, and that was telling enough. _What do they call that? Stockholm Syndrome? It'd make sense. I'm going to punch Malik into next week for doing this to Yuugi, dammit!_

But now, as they moved the _ka_ tablet from its secret location, Honda's main concern was Shadi. The man had disappeared in the conflict and had not made contact again, which was strange – not that Honda pretended to understand the man they had met only this morning. Still, he had given them a lot of information, and he seemed to fall on their side more than Malik's. If one was careful, it was good to use a double agent sometimes.

"Shadi will be informed of this," Kaiba answered at length. "But I will not give him the location. If he wants Obelisk to be mine, then I'm going to take it." He paused. "We're pulling out of Cairo. I'll transfer the money for you all to be flown out of the country."

Honda blinked at the change in subject. "What? Why?"

"Mutou." Kaiba glanced down at Honda before crossing his arms over his chest and surveying his team's work again. "For now he has to be considered the enemy. Everything he saw today will be reported to Malik. Our names will be known to him, now."

Honda glowered at the dunes on the horizon. "I wish I could stick up for Yuugi, but I think you're right."

"Of course I am," Kaiba answered, shamelessly smug about it. "I'm depending on you to break the news. I'll wrap up business here myself."

"You're kind of a prick yourself," Honda grumbled.

"I've never denied that," Kaiba smirked, taking it as a compliment.

&

It was nearly midnight by the time Yuugi and Rishid found themselves facing their hotel room door. Rishid was limping, true to prediction; Yuugi was dragging his feet. He really wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

"Tomorrow," Rishid had said as they arrived at the hotel, "You will tell me about the Sky Dragon, and the _ka_ tablet in the warehouse. Right now I think we are both too tired for questions."

Yuugi had merely nodded his assent. He was resolved to turn the Gods over to Malik in any case, so there was no harm in telling Rishid about them.

But now, standing in front of the door, he felt a distinctive coldness in the air. He licked his lips, resisting the urge to step back as Rishid put the key card in the lock. "Rishid," he said in a low voice. "Someone is on our room. He has a Millennium Item."

Rishid looked down at Yuugi with visible alarm. "Is it—"

"I do not know," Yuugi interrupted in a whisper. "But if it is Shadi, I will deal with him personally." His eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps we should go elsewhere," Rishid answered, his voice low but calm. "Now is not the time for this."

"Our things are in there!"

"Nothing that is irreplaceable." Rishid withdrew the card key too slowly for it to be recognized, and the light next to the knob blinked red. "Turn and walk, Mutou. I will be right behind you."

Yuugi nodded his assent, turning on his heel and walking towards the elevators as if nothing were wrong. He heard Rishid follow, his footsteps heavier and uneven. Then he heard the distinctive _click_ of the door opening.

"Brother," the person in the doorway said, and Rishid and Yuugi both turned to look with wide eyes.

_Ende Chapter 14_


	15. A Dead Future

**Chapter 15: A Dead Future**

_Note for the confused:_

'_Ishizu' is Isis. In Japanese, her name is pronounced Ishizu. When she is dicussed in Japanese, her name will be spelled 'Ishizu'; in Arabic, it will be 'Isis'._

The woman who was standing in the hotel room door had her eyes outlined thickly with kohl and wore heavy bangles and bracelets, but she was otherwise dressed in a western style. Her straight black hair was cut severely around her face. "Brother," she said again in Arabic, more quietly. "Yuugi."

"Isis," Yuugi said, unmoving. Rishid bowed his head to his sister.

Isis Ishtar, sister to Rishid and Malik Ishtar, was apparently who Yuugi had sensed in the room. Around her neck the Millennium Tauk glinted faintly. Yuugi, however, was not terribly comforted.

"I'm sorry to have startled you," Isis said quietly. "Come back to the room. We have much to discuss."

"I shouldn't be here," Yuugi said abruptly. "Rishid, I will wait downstairs." He turned back to the elevators.

"Yuugi, you especially must hear this," Isis replied. "Come to the room."

Yuugi stilled, his shoulders stiff. "Your—Pharaoh Malik has forbidden us from one another's presence. Or have you forgotten?" He struggled to keep from raising his voice.

"It would seem my brother is the one who has forgotten," Isis answered, "for he is the one that sent me. See, this is the proof."

Yuugi was forced to turn and see what her supposed 'proof' was. When his eyes fell on the small trinket in her hand, his heart leapt. "The Puzzle!"

Isis shook her head, folding her fingers around the small, irregular gold trinket. "Only a piece," she corrected. "But how would I have this without Malik's consent? Will you listen to me now?"

Yuugi nodded, his head jerking, but he came back to the room, brushing past Isis to slip through the door. Rishid and Isis lingered in the doorway a little longer, speaking in low tones. Yuugi did his best to ignore this, going to the bathroom to splash water on his face. A glance in the mirror told him he looked how he felt: exhausted and strung-out.

When he came back into the bedroom, Rishid was sitting on his bed – an admission to his injury, because Isis was still standing. Yuugi took it on himself to offer the desk chair, pulling it out. "Sit," he said, going to his own bed and sitting on the end of it.

Isis nodded her assent and gratitude, crossing the room. She paused before Yuugi, taking his hand and turning his palm up. Yuugi didn't resist, and she deposited the Puzzle piece in his fingers. "Take it," she said. "You've used a lot of energy these last several days. I hope this will help bear you up."

Yuugi closed his fingers around the Puzzle piece, pressing the closed fist to his chest. He liked to imagine he could sense aibou in the piece, but he doubted it was true. More importantly, at least in the practical sense, the Puzzle piece would keep his body functioning. Yuugi did not know the reason – not properly, in any case – but when he did not have physical contact with the Puzzle on a regular basis, after a month or so he would slip into a coma, deteriorating towards death. _It's because I don't really belong here, not for so long, and not alone, _he told himself. _Nothing like this would happen to my aibou._

Isis took her seat and crossed her legs, looking impressively regal. In Yuugi's opinion, she looked more like a queen than her brother ever looked like a Pharaoh. "I have seen a vision of the future," Isis said. "I know you are both tired, so I will keep this short."

"Did you foresee what has happened these few days?" Yuugi asked before she could continue, turning the piece of the Puzzle over and over in his fingers.

Isis closed her eyes. "In bits and pieces, yes," she replied. "For that matter, you should know that Malik is aware that you have awakened the Sky Dragon Osiris. He is …" Isis seemed to search for the proper word, looking at Yuugi without turning her head. "Interested."

It was a neutral thing to say, but Yuugi read her meaning. Malik was not exactly pleased. "Tell him I intend to turn over the token of the Sky Dragon and of Obelisk the Tormentor, whose symbol I obtained tonight," he said, leaning forward with urgency.

Isis showed no surprise about Obelisk; Yuugi supposed she must have seen that as well. "That is not your problem. You should know, the three Gods are considered the birthright of the Pharaoh. So it is written on the tablet that Malik does not want you to see."

Yuugi clenched his teeth. "Then do not tell me!"

But Isis continued, ignoring him. "You have awakened two of the Gods. Malik fears what you are. For you to awaken them – even if you give their tokens to Malik – makes him fear for his position."

"This is why we are not to speak to one another," Yuugi said in a tight voice.

"My brother fears you, but I do not," Isis replied, smiling slightly as if Yuugi had just told a mildly amusing joke. "He strives to end the Tombkeeper's destiny by taking the position of their king, but there is no need for—"

"Isis!" Yuugi shot to his feet. "As it stands, I _have no choice_ but to follow Pharaoh Malik. Do you want to stop him? Overthrow him? Do you still want to _save_ him?" Yuugi glared at her. "Give me the Puzzle and I will do anything for you. Until then, I am his servant and I cannot hear anything you have to say about your brother. So will you be silent!?"

Both Isis and Rishid seemed surprised by this outburst, their eyes widened. Yuugi drew a deep breath and sat down, forcing himself to be calm. "You said you had a vision."

Isis turned her gaze away. "Yes." She lifted one hand to the Tauk, caressing it with her fingers. "It relates to the Gods. I have seen Ra, rising as a phoenix in the sky. I saw the Millennium Eye, and the Bearer of the Ring." She looked between Yuugi and Rishid. "This takes place in Russia, in Saint Petersburg. I could get nothing more specific than that."

"I assume we go there next," Rishid surmised.

"Yes." Isis twisted in her chair, reaching for a folder left on the desk. "In here are tickets to Russia provided by our brother Malik. He has made arrangements for your stay there. Yuugi, because of your success with the Sky Dragon, he wants you to find the _ka _tablet of the Great Phoenix Ra, which he believes is in Russia."

Yuugi was surprised that Malik still wanted him to go after the final God, but he said nothing, not wanting to raise the question of his 'birthright' again with Isis. "If you saw the Bearer of the Ring, there will be others there after the same thing as us," Yuugi said quietly. "The master of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and those who are with him."

"I will tell Malik," Isis answered after a pause, giving Yuugi a curious look.

"Then you do not travel with us." This was Rishid.

"No. I will return to Washington." Isis bowed her head regally. "I follow our brother's orders." She rose to her feet and crossed the room, handing Rishid the folder containing the tickets. "You leave tomorrow afternoon."

Yuugi's eyes traced her every step. "The Pharaoh does not expect us to return to the complex for a while, does he?" he asked, feeling the press of the sharp edges of the Puzzle piece against his palm.

Isis faced him while Rishid opened the folder. Yuugi thought he caught a downturned mouth and a sorrowful look, but he couldn't be certain as her features smoothed. "I do not know," she said almost gently. "Take care, Yuugi." She bent to her brother, kissing him on the forehead affectionately; Rishid closed his eyes. "Take care, brother." She whispered something in his ear that made Rishid swallow, but Yuugi didn't hear it; then she was going to the door, waving goodbye without turning. The door shut behind her.

Yuugi fell backwards to lay spread-eagled on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Off to Russia, was it?

"Are you going to take a shower, Yuugi?" Rishid asked, back to business as usual already.

"You first," Yuugi answered, rolling onto his stomach and pressing his face into the covers. He heard Rishid getting up and limping to the bathroom. "Change your dressings!" He added, half-shouting into the bedclothes.

Rishid grunted in reply, and the bathroom door shut behind him.

Yuugi lay there, still even as the shower started running. Malik wasn't happy. He was going to … Yuugi shook his head. Thinking about it would solve nothing, and it looked increasingly like punishment of any sort was going to be put off for as much as a month or more. Which was a month or more without an opportunity to work on the Puzzle …

Yuugi huffed a sigh into the bedclothes. Russia. He spoke no Russian and was relatively sure Rishid didn't either. This was going to be an interesting few weeks. But before they went, he had some unfinished business. The smile Yuugi made into the covers was neither kind nor sane.

&

While Yuugi was smirking into his sheets, Kaiba was boarding a plane. It was one of two private jets he owned; the first was emblazoned with the Kaiba Corporation logo, used for official business overseas. The other was for more personal things, when he didn't want it broadcast that _the_ Seto Kaiba was traveling. This was the time for the second jet.

The _ka_ tablet had been loaded already, to be transported to Australia. Kaiba had yet to make a decision as to where to send the rest of his team; Jonouchi's team would probably fly to Australia after him and stay at the complex. He'd leave a clean-up team to erase evidence of their stay and … then what? Perhaps, after enough time had passed and Ryou was properly in control of the Ring, he could come back for the Osiris _ka _tablet. For now it wasn't safe.

Kaiba settled into his seat (he wasn't flying today; he was completely capable of doing so, but he wasn't foolish enough to try and fly when he had been up for nearly twenty-four hours straight) and closed his eyes, ready to relax when his cell phone rang. Kaiba had made limited use of the phone since his arrival in Cairo, since inherent EVPs could supposedly drive a man mad, and this was hardly the first call he'd received and ignored, but he checked the number. Surprisingly it was one he didn't recognize.

He shrugged to himself and picked it up. If it was some vendor idiot he could at least get the satisfaction of yelling at someone. "Kaiba."

"Kaiba-san. I understand you have the tablet of Obelisk."

Kaiba blinked. "Shadi?"

"Yes. Keep the tablet someplace safe. It is best if I do not know its location."

"Good thing you think so. I wasn't going to tell you," Kaiba shot back, scowling out the window at the faintly glinting runway lights. "You ran like a rat at the warehouse."

"Forgive me. I am not a good fighter, as I do not have a Shadow Being," Shadi replied, his tone caustic.

But Kaiba could out-caustic anyone. "And what exactly were you calling about?" His tone was razor-sharp.

"I have more information for you. This also comes from Ishizu Ishtar," Shadi said. "The _ka_ tablet of Ra is in Russia." He proceeded to share Isis' vision, as well as who else knew: "Mutou, and Rishid will be going to Saint Petersburg. They leave tomorrow, in the afternoon."

Kaiba disgested this in silence. "Why are you doing this, Shadi?" Kaiba asked when the Egyptian had finished his short speech. "What's in it for you?"

Shadi did not answer right away, but when he did, his voice was soft. "I serve only my Pharaoh, and he is not Malik. Do what you will with this information, Seto Kaiba-san. I must go."

Kaiba blinked. "You're not going to—" But the line went dead, his phone beeping faintly in indication of a low battery. Kaiba growled and shoved the phone into his pocket.

Shadi obviously wanted him to go to Russia and attempt to take the third God tablet. In truth, Kaiba wanted to do exactly that, but part of him felt like he would be following an order, or at least an extremely strong suggestion. Besides, while there was no denying the power of the Items to create Shadow Magic, Kaiba strongly doubted their other supposed powers such as seeing the future.

The pilot came into the plane, tapping his hat smartly down on his head. He smiled at Seto, entirely too cheerful for the hour. "Good morning, sir! We've finished fueling and we'll be off the runway in half an hour."

"Good," Kaiba said, not deigning to smile. He waved the pilot and his far more meek co-pilot into the cockpit and settled back in his chair again, closing his eyes.

_First to Australia,_ Kaiba resolved. He wanted to check on Mokuba in any case. _Then, I'll follow up on Russia. Worse case scenario I've wasted a couple hundred thousand dollars. Nothing terrible._

It was good to be a billionare.

&

In his office, Shadi was preparing to go home. His curator's papers were all in order, and he had canceled the lease on the warehouse that had housed Obelisk. He was no longer in a position to take care of the _ka_ tablet.

Shadi was relatively certain that he had set things up to allow for the Spirit of the Puzzle to run into Kaiba's core group again. The more he was disrupted from Malik's fold, the better, Shadi told himself. The Spirit needed to break free in order to claim his birthright, and for Shadi, that would be the day he had waited for since he was first given the Millennium Key and Scales. However, for the time being he had served his purpose. He would wait for the Pharaoh to contact him, when it came time for him to claim his memories …

There was a knock at the door. Shadi frowned; it was after one in the morning. Shadi would normally have been long out of the office. Wishing briefly for Isis' foresight, he came to the door and opened it. "Ye--!?"

"I have to leave town tomorrow," said the figure in the doorway. He was short and narrow and not at all threatening, but for the look in his eyes. "But before I go, I wanted to play one final game with you."

Yuugi Mutou smiled when Shadi said nothing. "Do you accept?"

_Ende Chapter 15_


	16. Never Trust the Dark

**Chapter 16: Never Trust the Dark**

The first thing Petrov Kazynski did every morning (after rolling out of bed, stumbling around in search of a clean shirt, and relieving himself) was open his laptop. This morning was no exception. Petrov had been married to his career in Egyptology for fifteen years, and even now it was his first love; every morning he answered e-mails and looked for news about new digs, corresponded with sponsors and negociated for funds – all before his first cup of coffee.

His passion had risen to a new level two years ago, much to the surprise of his fellow archeologists. After the accident, they hadn't been sure he'd be interested in continuing, but rather he seemed more interested than ever. Indeed, he seemed to have developed a sixth sense for dig sites, and the two digs he had been on since the accident had been wildly successful. New information about the mysterious Eighteenth Dynasty and the eras previous had been uncovered to worldwide applause.

Today he opened his laptop to twenty e-mails. He answered several and drafted a financial report in response to another before getting up and starting a pot of coffee. When he came back to his laptop, he had already received another e-mail.

This one was from one of his more questionable associates. Y.Senen had sponsored one of his digs quite generously, but in cash. Petrov had chosen to ignore the doubtfulness of the legality of the cash in favor of accepting it, and since then the mysterious benefactor had sent tantalizing information about the by now infamous Millennium Items. None of Petrov's associates had ever seen one. Petrov himself had only seen two of them. The references to them in the artifacts they found were vague at best; the one time Petrov had run across something more specific, he had been thrilled – but the artifact, a gigantic stone slab covered with information about the Items, had disappeared overnight. No one knew anything about it. When Petrov had attempted to dig deeper into it, he had found himself on the wrong end of some very pointed questions about his motivations from a certain organization.

Petrov's accident had occurred shortly after that. He had recovered as fully as one could expect to recover from such an incident, and then Y.Senen had appeared, enticing Petrov to continue his search for the Items.

This had resulted in one truly amazing find: a legendary _ka_ tablet, the supposed items containing spirits from the 'shadow' realm. The creature carved upon it was a great bird, fearsome in its majesty; Petrov's imagination went alight with how it must have looked in flight, its great firey wings beating against the sky, its body golden and glinting.

Surely it was his imagination, but the image was so clear in his mind that sometimes he forgot.

He had kept the tablet and had not released knowledge of it to the public. It was the one item he had smuggled away from a dig. Sometimes this gave him pangs of conscience, but when he touched it, he lost all doubt. This was where the tablet belonged.

He opened the e-mail from Y.Senen, curious as to what he wanted. It was composed in English, as had been all his e-mails.

_Mr. Kazynski,_

_You are receiving this e-mail because something has happened to me. This is an automated e-mail. Don't bother replying; I'm not in a place where I can answer you._

_In light of my recent disappearance, I have decided to share with you the greatest secret of my life. You have been an extraordinarily good business partner, and it would please me to pass this on to you._

_Read the following attachment. It will contain all the information._

_Y.Senen_

Petrov's eye widened at this e-mail. It was odd, but undeniably it was Y.Senen's e-mail address. The attachment was safe for viewing. What could have happened to Y.Senen? _What do I know about him? Nothing. _Petrov would have to accept this as he had accepted everything else: blindly.

He opened the attachment. It was a jpeg file, an image of a series of hieroglyphics. As was Petrov's habit when deciphering Egyptian, he read aloud; the translation came into his head as he spoke the ancient words. _I call the spirit out of the darkness. I call him to me. I call him to me. I call the spirit of the Ring out of the darkness. I call him to me. Into my left eye I call him. Into my being I call him._

_What in hell is this!?_ Petrov thought, but before he could properly react, he felt his left eye began to warm. He covered the eye with his hand, grimacing as it seemed to grow too hot for its socket.

The Millennium Eye replica had never done this before. It had never done anything, hidden under sunglasses and eyepatches for two years; it had just been there, a mockery of what he wanted to find, a motivator to find the real Items. He cried out in pain, curling in his desk chair. _Wh-what have I done!? The magic, it cannot be real …_

_You fool. You really thought this was a replica, didn't you? No, this is the real thing. I wouldn't have given you a fake._

The pain stopped abruptly, his eye socket throbbing in reaction. Petrov sat up abruptly in his chair, looking around the room. "Who's there!?"

_I'm in your mind, Petrov Kazynski. Thanks for the crash course in Russian, by the way; your mind is so wonderfully open._

Petrov shivered at the voice, clutching the chair's armrests. "Who are you? How did this happen? What is going on!?"

_Why, I'm the spirit of the Ring of course. You called me out of the darkness, just as I knew you would. I have to thank you for that somehow._

"…Y.Senen?" Petrov's voice trembled, remembering a terrifying night two years ago.

_You're fast, Petrov. That's right. Yami Sennen, short for Dark Thousand Years, in case you're curious. I see you're remembering the night I gave you the Millennium Eye. I have to say, I'm sorry you haven't been making good use of it._

Petrov opened and closed his mouth, utterly flabbergasted. "Why are you … here?"

_I got banished to the Shadow Realm by a certain someone. I would have liked to return home, but that wasn't possible. You, Petrov, were plan B._

_Now, don't say anything. I think you've been sorely deprived, what with not knowing how to use my gracious gift. I've got another little present for you, so open your mind and say 'thank you'._

Petrov opened his mouth to say 'what?', but no sound came out as a thousand images slammed into his head at once.

&

Ryou's eyes opened and he sat up in his cot, panting.

_A dream …_

It quickly faded, leaving only a slight pain in Ryou's left eye and the last words of a voice in his mind ringing in his ears. _Say 'thank you'._ Ryou clutched his fists to his chest and breathed slowly, grimacing. Wrapped around his wrist, the Millennium Ring was unnaturally cold.

Jonouchi was snoring, spread-eagled on the bed and relaxed. When Ryou had fallen asleep, Jonouchi had been still awake, curled on his side and brooding. Honda was frowning in his sleep, hunched into the space Jonouchi wasn't taking up. On the other bed Shizuka was curled on her side, and Anzu lay next to her, perfectly still. Ryou wasn't even sure he could see her breathing.

Ryou flopped back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. This was their last night in the motel room; tomorrow they would be on a plane to somewhere of Kaiba's choosing. It was a strange thought, but Ryou felt comforted to know he was being looked out for by someone, even if the guy was completely unfriendly.

Everyone was upset, of course; there had been hushed, weary conversation about Yuugi Mutou as everyone packed up everything not immediately needed and Honda made arrangments for pickups he couldn't do himself. Jonouchi was sullen; Anzu was quiet, and Shizuka made comforting overtures to everyone. Ryou felt more lost than usual, not understanding the deep love the rest had for Yuugi.

Ryou kept his confidence, however. He was determined to learn how to control the magic of the Millennium Ring, and to learn the identity of the monster in his tattoo. If he was going to be here, he was going to be as useful as possible. He closed his eyes again and tried to relax back into sleep.

&

Rishid always woke up before Mutou did. It was almost odd, the regularity of it, but neither he nor Mutou questioned it. He sat up in bed without wincing at the lance of pain up his thigh, but he threw the covers aside and examined his dressings. A dull red line of blood showed through the gauze; he would have to redress it or have Mutou do it. Rishid turned to look at the young man in question.

Who was flopped on top of the covers on his stomach, fully dressed, deathly pale and breathing shallowly through his nose. Beside him rested the Millennium Key and Scales, undisturbed.

"Mutou!" Rishid limped the step between his bed and his charge's, his hand shooting out to shake the boy's shoulder. "Mutou, wake up! What did you do!?"

Mutou stirred, his eyes slitting open. His eyes rolled up towards Rishid's alarmed face and widened; he started to push himself up on one elbow. "What? Rishid …?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Rishid dropped to his knees and grasped Mutou's shoulders. "What did you do?" he asked again, squeezing those narrow shoulders urgently.

Mutou gave him a confused look, then looked over his shoulder at the Millennium Items on the bed. "Oh … those." He pressed his free hand against Rishid's wrist. "I dealt with Shadi."

Rishid twitched his jaw, but he released Mutou's shoulders. "I told you not to play any more Shadow Games yesterday."

"It was technically this morning," Mutou answered, sitting up properly and scrubbing both of his hands through his hair.

Rishid resisted the sudden and brief urge to punch Mutou across the face. Instead, he grabbed Mutou's chin, turning his head towards his own. "Do not twist my words to your own ends! You are tricky, and that is an asset, but do not use it against me," He growled. He released Mutou's chin with a little shove and got back to his feet, falling back onto his own bed heavily.

Mutou said nothing, but he lowered his gaze for a moment. Rishid had to take that as an assent for now; Mutou was not likely to apologize if he thought it was justified. "What did you do to him?" Rishid asked.

"I silenced him," the boy answered, "since he could not keep his mouth shut." He smirked slightly, his gaze distant; clearly he was remembering. "I will be pleased to turn over the Key and the Scales to Pharaoh Malik."

Rishid ran his hand over his face, closing his eyes. "How did you get there and back? You have no license."

"I called for it."

"With the NO?" Rishid gave him a doubtful look.

"They think I am some kind of prized possession of the Pharaoh's," Yuugi answered, picking at his shirt absently. "They did exactly as I asked. And before you ask, I am fine. Still tired, but fine. I will sleep on the plane."

"You are a fool," Rishid informed him flatly. "Have a care. If you wished to do this, you should have spoken with me first."

"There was no time. Shadi would have run into hiding by now." Mutou got to his feet and stretched. "You needed rest as much, if not more, than I. Your wound is still bleeding."

Rishid reached up and grabbed Mutou by the collar at that. Mutou squawked in surprise as Rishid dragged him down to his eye level.

"You have done this stunt once before, and you remember where you ended up," Rishid hissed. "Do not do it again. You are lucky all went well!"

Yuugi met his eyes with little other choice. He answered in a sober voice. "I _am_ lucky." He grasped Rishid's fingers around his shirt until Rishid let go, and then he went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Rishid had the feeling Mutou had not been talking about his early morning excursion.

&

In another part of town, Shadi was found in his office, passed out in his chair. He was in a coma, completely unexplainable by the doctors, and it was uncertain if he would ever come out of it. When he did, nearly six months later, he was blind, deaf, and dumb. There was nothing wrong with his senses, the doctors said; it had to be damage to the sensory portion of the brain, but they could not detect it even with the best equipment.

When he woke, the first thing Shadi wrote (in scrawling letters that fell across the page wildly) was: _It is the will of the Pharaoh._

_Ende Chapter 16_

_Another slightly short chapter. We're just warming up for more action, though, so stay tuned._

_Thanks to olesia.love, Peach Wookiee, Aramis-chan, Isis the Sphinx, Spidey meets the Wizard-Theif, tavia454, and gecko-grl-2 for their reviews of the last couple of chapters. Reviews are appreciated and replied to!_


	17. Walk Towards Hell

**Chapter 17: Walk Towards Hell**

Yuugi slept in the car on the way to the airport. He also slept in the terminal, and slept for the entire plane ride. Rishid let him. It was Mutou's own foolishness that left him this exhausted, but forcing him to stay awake would have simply been counterproductive.

The Key and the Scales rested in a separate suitcase, which Rishid kept in his lap. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Russia, the customs agents were unimpressed. Mutou was most awake when the customs agent opened the suitcase and studied the carefully wrapped Items. "These are valuble, yes?" The man asked in accented, broken Arabic. "You carry them long way?"

"That's not your business," Mutou growled, but Rishid placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They are very precious to my brother," Rishid answered, bowing his head slightly. "Please, there is nothing dangerous nor illegal about them. Please take care with them."

"I might need to see customs headmaster," the man said, giving Rishid a significant look. "Egypt Consul wishes us careful about artifacts. I might need confiscate them."

Mutou had a look that said he was either going to Shadow Game the man or attempt to kick him under the table – whichever was more convenient. Rishid, however, pulled out a roll of bills and slid them to the man. "Again, they are precious to my brother, and we are in a hurry."

The customs agent's hand passed over the bills and they were gone. "Forgive me for hindering you. Please, go." He shut the suitcase with finality and waved them on, satisfied.

Mutou was clearly less than pleased with this arrangement. "Taking bribes," he grumbled, shouldering his bag and Rishid's and shoving his hands in his pockets.. "He stole that money from you."

"Better money than the Items." Rishid hefted the suitcase and limped away. When they got to the chauffeured car that would take them to their new hotel, however, Yuugi immediately fell asleep again. He was still like a dead man, only his breathing indicating he remained alive.

Rishid shook his head and opened a book as the car pulled into evening Saint Petersburg traffic.

&

Forty-five minutes after Rishid and Yuugi had left the airport, Jonouchi, the ANZU unit, Ryou, Honda, and Shizuka came through a neighboring terminal.

Ryou was still reeling a bit at the news that Anzu was not, in fact, human. He had discovered as much when she passed by the metal detector at the security checkpoint in Cairo, presenting a paper to the guard there. Jonouchi had come with her, talking in hushed tones with the guard.

"What are they discussing?" he asked Honda. "Does Anzu have a medical condition?"

Honda laughed, a strange laugh. "No," he snorted as Shizuka passed through the metal detector. "She's an android; ANZU is her acronym, ANdroid Zetaphase Universal. The metal detector wouldn't fry her circuits, but it might warp her a bit."

"An android!?" Ryou was astonished. "But she seems so alive! I didn't realize technology had …" he trailed off thoughtfully.

"She's a pretty smart imitation, all right," Honda replied, his tone so matter-of-fact that Ryou thought he detected bitterness there. "Kaiba's design. There's only a hundred others like her, and maybe seven hundred other androids of a similar make in the world. No one else has been able to duplicate the human mind so perfectly as Kaiba Corporation thus far."

Ryou studied her openly as she allowed herself to be patted down in poor imitation of the job of the metal detector. "But … why design such a thing?"

"Security, mostly," Honda answered, bending down to put his shoes back on. "Androids of this level are something of an open secret, but they're not exactly broadcasted to the world. Would you think that national secrets are being kept in the head of a girl that looks like Anzu? And if you did try to break into her, she could break _you_ in half."

Ryou collected his own shoes and slipped them on. "No, I suppose not," he admitted. He hesitated. "Then how does Anzu know Yuugi? She had such an emotional response to him."

"Now that's the question, isn't it?" Ryou blinked at Honda as the taller man straightened; there was definitely bitterness in his voice now. "… ANZU is based on Anzu Mazaki, Yuugi Mutou's first friend. You could almost … you could almost say she's Anzu brought back to life."

Anzu and Jonouchi were coming back now. Ryou glanced between them and Honda. "Almost?" he whispered. "She died?"

"Yes." Honda grabbed his carry-on bag and started for the terminal. "Come on, we're running late."

Ryou found himself speechless; he could do nothing but follow.

At the customs desk, the man attempted to speak to them in Arabic, but his accent was terrible. Ryou grimaced on the man's behalf. "Passports, please. How long you stay in Saint Petersburg?"

But as awful as his accent was, Honda's was worse; he didn't even try to speak to the man, pushing Jonouchi forward. Jonouchi was little better. "Doesn't Anzu know Arabic?" he hissed.

"Technically she _is_ a customs issue," Honda hissed back.

"I'm right here, you know," Anzu hissed between them, glaring at them both.

Ryou sighed and stepped forward. "We don't know for certain, sir," he said in Russian. "We've come for a little sightseeing and some business; we don't know how long it's going to take, precisely."

"Ah! Your Russian is very good," the customs agent said with obvious relief. "You have been here before?"

"Briefly," Ryou said, showing his shiny new (fake) passport, bestowed upon him by Kaiba through Honda. "Lost my old passport book, though, sadly!" It was frustrating to not know even where he'd been staying in Cairo; he would have liked to learn more about the movements of his other self. A glance back showed him that the others were staring; he shrugged apologetically.

"Ah, that's too bad, too bad," the customs agent sighed. "It is always a shame to lose that record. Well, let me see your things!"

Ryou carefully avoided pressing his hand to where the Ring rested against his stomach throughout the inspection. It went well, as they were all carrying little more than clothes, CDs, and toiletries. When they left, Jonouchi whistled. "Ryou! That was awesome! Why didn't you tell us you speak Russian?"

"I'm sorry," Ryou replied, abashed. "No one asked and I didn't think to mention it."

"You should see the shit some customs officers pull," Jonouchi grumbled, "especially when you don't know the language. They know you don't understand so they confiscate the most ridiculous things. They tried to take Shizuka's earring when we flew to Cairo!"

Shizuka brushed her ear self-consciously, smiling gently. "But they didn't, brother."

"Yeah, because I made such a big scene they knew they couldn't get away with it," Jonouchi grumbled.

"ANZU had to be transported as luggage to get to Cairo. Long story," Honda said when Ryou opened his mouth to question it. "If she'd been there, it wouldn't have been a problem."

"Oh, are you sharing my non-life story with Ryou-kun now?" Anzu asked, arching an eyebrow. She looked at Ryou. "I don't frighten you, do I?"

Ryou smiled hesitantly. "A little, maybe, but only because I never would have thought it," he admitted. But on the plane ride, he had been able to put together the little inconsistencies in her habits; the fact that she never breathed hard, her dead 'Affirmative' in the warehouse, the occasional unnatural stillness. "You're very lifelike. I-I mean that as a compliment, by the way!" he added when he realized how that sounded.

The ANZU unit smiled at him. "Don't worry, I took it as one. Thank you, Ryou-kun."

"We'll get you a Russian language pack as soon as possible," Honda told her. "In the meantime, Ryou, congratulations. You're our translator."

&

It took some time to reach the hotel Malik had reserved for them. Rishid leaned over to shake Yuugi awake as they pulled up to the front doors, but before he could touch Mutou, he awoke with a start, his eyes flying open blindly. He sat up abruptly in his seat, his fingers fisting in his pants as he stared at the back of the driver's head.

Rishid raised his eyebrows. "Mutou?"

Yuugi made no immediate answer; he was still pale, and at first Rishid guessed it was a nightmare. But then Mutou let out a slow, calculated breath and turned to his seatbelt. His hands were shaking slightly. "Someone with a Millennium Item is here," he said quietly. "It is not your sister, and it is familiar."

Rishid's fingers hesitated on the car door. "You think it is my brother?"

"I doubt otherwise," was all Mutou would say. He opened his door and stepped out. Rishid did the same on the other side, taking the suitcase with him.

It would have been a lie to say that Rishid was not hopeful. Mutou was frightened – maybe sensibly so, Rishid allowed, a flash of scar tissue on his back showing as his shirt was hitched up by collecting their things – but for Rishid, to see his brother was an exciting prospect. He had not laid eyes on his brother in any way for the last six months; for three years, Malik's face had always been hidden. But here, in Russia, he could not hide behind the cloak of a Ghoul without looking ridiculous or suspicious.

Rishid moved quickly for the doors. Yuugi dragged his feet behind Rishid, running only a few steps to remain a reasonable distance behind him.

"Sirs?" said the concierge in English, but Rishid ignored him. Yuugi did too, his head down as he followed Rishid towards the desk. "Sirs, please! Mr. Ishtal, yes? We have an urgent message for you from Mr. Malik Ishtal!"

Yuugi's head turned at 'Malik', as did Rishid's. "What is it?" Rishid asked roughly.

"Mr. Malik Ishtal asks that you see to the room. Mr. Yuugi Mutou – is this him? – has been asked to please meet Mr. Malik Ishtal at this address as soon as he arrives. It is just around the corner," the concierge said, handing a slip of paper to Rishid.

Rishid's heart dropped. Mutou understood almost nothing that had been said; he raised himself on his toes grabbing Rishid's sleeve and trying to see what was written on the note. Rishid finally turned it to Mutou, resigning himself almost too easily to the knowledge that once again, he would not see his brother. "Master Malik wishes you to meet him here, alone."

Yuugi visibly grimaced. "Where is it?" he asked, frowning at the Russian letters giving the name of the place. Rishid could make neither heads nor tails of the Russian either.

"The concierge says it's around the corner," Rishid answered, letting Yuugi take the slip of paper from his hand. "Mr. Mutou speaks little English and no Russian," Rishid told the concierge. "Please have him shown the way."

He swallowed bitterness as the concierge voiced his agreement ("Of course, Mr. Ishtal, of course!") and traded luggage with Yuugi, giving the smaller boy the suitcase with the Items in it and taking their travel bags. Yuugi barely looked at him, absorbed with his own reaction to Malik's presence. Rishid limped slowly to the front desk to check in.

&

The concierge spoke no Arabic or Japanese and Yuugi spoke no Russian and little English, resulting in the concierge drawing Yuugi a map that basically showed Yuugi he should literally go around the corner of the block. Yuugi crumpled the map in his fist and tossed it into a trash can, irritated by the wasted time – all while his stomach attempted to do full handsprings.

Malik was _here, _which was unlikely to be a good sign. At least he had something to show for himself. Yuugi lugged the suitcase containing the Key and Scales along, making the turn and coming to the – so help him – coffee shop Malik was apparently waiting in. All the while, his sense of the Millennium Rod grew stronger, giving him chills down his spine.

He stepped into the shop and the scent of a hundred different coffee brews assaulted him; a little bell on the door rang. The walls were painted a solid, hearty green and littered with vintage pictures. At this hour of the evening the place was nearly empty, but a few people lingered at corner tables, talking in low, soothing tones. Overall, the place was entirely too charming for Yuugi to even imagine Malik here – but there he was, in a seat facing the door. His white-blond hair had been fought down into a ponytail; he wore less gold jewelry than usual, but not by much. He smirked upon sighting Yuugi; Yuugi nodded his head stiffly and approached.

"You're late," was the first thing Malik said.

Yuugi twitched his jaw, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I didn't know you had a time set for this meeting. In fact, I don't believe I was aware this meeting was occurring at all."

"You always take everything so seriously," Malik grumbled. "I was joking. Sit down." Yuugi sat stiffly, putting down the suitcase next to him. Malik pushed a steaming cup of coffee at him. "I felt you coming, which I wasn't quite expecting. Why do you have the Key and Scales, Yuugi?" Malik asked. His tone was sugar-sweet with arch undertones.

Yuugi took the cup, fingering the rim but not taking a sip. It smelled strongly of mint. "Shadi had betrayed you," Yuugi murmured. "He had given away your secrets to the rebel group that attacked the Mausoleum just before you sent me there. He also attempted to hide Obelisk the Tormentor, but"—Yuugi reached into the pouch he kept on his belt urgently, removing from it the scale of the Sky Dragon Osiris and the orb of Obelisk the Tormentor—"I have retrieved his symbol for you, O Pharaoh." He barely whispered the last part, conscious of other possible ears as he offered the tokens of the two Gods in open palms, his head bowed. "The symbols of the Sky Dragon Osiris and his brother, Obelisk. I called them in your honor."

Malik considered the items for a long moment. Finally, Yuugi felt Malik taking the items from his hands. "I knew you had them," Malik said dismissively. "My sister told me, and through my ghouls I saw the Sky Dragon. I'm pleased you gave these to me without my asking, Yuugi."

Yuugi glanced up through his bangs long enough to get a sense of a condescending smile. He quickly dropped his gaze again, lowering his hands back to his cup of coffee.

"Drink some. I bought it for you, after all," Malik said.

Yuugi mechanically took a sip. It burned his tongue. It tasted almost like mint tea.

Malik took a sip of his own coffee. "Mmm. This place makes the best coffee. Tell Rishid that. You two should come here every day you're at this hotel. Heck, make that an order." He laughed at his own joke. Yuugi cracked a smile, forcing it and waiting for the other shoe to drop. He took another sip of the coffee and reflected that as much as he hated to agree with Malik, he was right; the coffee was pretty good.

"Okay, down to business," Malik said, suddenly leaning forward. "You're not being straight with me, Yuugi, and you seem to be having a hard time following direct orders. Point in fact, you _Shadow Gamed_ the master of the Blue Eyes White Dragons after I specifically told you not to so much as look at him. Secondly, it sounds like you might have some clue who he is. Oh, and do I even need to mention Shadi? Did I ask you to do that? I had jobs for him, and now he's a vegetable."

Yuugi's smile had slipped off his face at the word 'business', and he sat very, very still by the end of Malik's speech. There was nothing he could say in response; the only thing that mattered was Malik's point of view, and occasionally (very occasionally) Rishid's. Apologies would be empty and Malik didn't want to hear them.

Malik slowly shook his head like a parent sighing over their toddler wetting the bedsheets. "I do appreciate your, hm … _enthusiasm_, however." The smile Yuugi caught was dangerously narrow and razor-sharp. "Cat got your tongue, Yuugi? You're awfully quiet."

Yuugi shook his head, not lifting his eyes. "Forgive me, Pharaoh," he murmured. "What more can I say?"

"You could beg for forgiveness on your knees, grovel in the dirt properly," Malik said almost idly but with a vicious undertone. "But I agree this isn't the time or place. Fortunately for you, there's a car coming in … about ten minutes, which we will both be riding to another favorite place of mine in Saint Petersburg."

Yuugi made no reply. He was startled when Malik reached across the table and hooked a knuckle under Yuugi's chin, forcing the young man to meet Malik's ice-cold eyes. "I want to test my new Gods, Yuugi," Malik murmured. "You're going to help me."

Malik held Yuugi's gaze for another several seconds; Yuugi did not blink, not until Malik released his chin and he could drop his gaze again. "Finish your coffee, Yuugi."

Yuugi obeyed. His tongue was scalded, and he didn't taste another drop.

_Ende Chapter 17_


	18. Two Betwixt Them

**Chapter 18: Two Betwixt Them**

Yuugi and Malik sat side by side in the back seat of the car, the suitcase containing the Millennium Key and Millennium Scales between them. Yuugi looked out the window as they passed glowing neon signs written in letters Yuugi barely even recognized. He snuck a glance at Malik, unnoticed; the would-be Pharaoh was fingering the tokens of the two Gods, his thumb sliding over their surfaces as if polishing them. Yuugi curled his fingers around the pouch that contained the Puzzle piece.

"I don't believe I've told you," Malik said suddenly, "Why these particular Shadow Beings are so important."

Yuugi hesistated before speaking. Malik hadn't specifically asked for his opinion, but his following silence seemed to demand words. "Shadi spoke to me about them," he said at length. Then, to protect Isis, he omitted her words about the Three Gods, speaking only of Shadi. "He told me they are the birthright of the Pharaoh. This third _ka_ tablet, bearing the name of a god, must be the last of the three Shadi told me about." Without looking at Malik he dipped his head. "I call them in your honor," he said, repeating his statement in the coffee shop.

Yuugi felt Malik look at him. The look wasn't friendly. "Yes." He settled back again. "You did the right thing, turning them over. I'm sure their power must be tempting."

"A little, perhaps."

"Don't lie. You can almost – well, I suppose you can't, not without the Puzzle. I was going to say you can almost feel their power even now, dormant in these signs."

Yuugi was quiet.

Malik continued in Yuugi's silence. "No matter how many times I touched the Sky Dragon's tablet, no matter how many times I called, he would not answer. And then you come along and he flies to your rescue. How did you do it, Yuugi?"

Yuugi stiffened in his seat, but he did not look up. "I don't—"

"Ah ah ah! Don't _lie_, Yuugi," Malik hissed. His hands had gone to the suitcase containing the Key and Scales; gold rings clinked against its hard surface. "The Scales wouldn't like that much."

Yuugi stared at his lap, clutching his knees. Dread of the answer he had to give filled him, but still he spoke, dragging his words. "The Oricalchos mark I told you of: it tried to take Rishid's soul," he said, letting a long breath out like a sigh. "I … was in need, and the Sky Dragon reached out to me."

Malik matched Yuugi's tone. "Why did the Sky Dragon reach out to you?"

"He thought that I—" Yuugi had to pause and clear his throat, and he kept his voice steady. "He called me Pharaoh. I corrected him, but forgive me – I did not care much at the time. I wanted to save Rishid only."

"I see." Malik nodded sagely in the corner of Yuugi's vision. "And Obelisk – did he make the same mistake?"

Yuugi kept his face perfectly blank with effort. "Yes."

"How interesting. And what did you think of all this?" Malik asked. "Two great Shadow Beings calling you 'Pharaoh'?"

"My answer should lie in the tokens in your hands," Yuugi answered in a low voice. "My Pharaoh."

A corner of Malik's mouth turned up. "Clever response," he informed Yuugi as the car pulled up to a curb. "Get out."

Yuugi obeyed, climbing out of the car and coming to Malik's side as the taller man stepped out. Malik thrust the suitcase with the Key and Scales into Yuugi's arms, taking with him a slim package that Yuugi knew was the Millennium Rod. The street was deserted. Malik took a key out of his pocket and unlocked a nondescript door, then started down the steps there. Yuugi followed.

The flight was long and only dimly lit with bare bulbs every six or seven steps. A rat flashed over Yuugi's feet and disappeared down the stairs, startling him. There was a sense of disuse and even dirtiness, although the walls were free of graffiti.

At the bottom of the stairs Malik opened a small door in the concrete wall, snapping circuit breakers on. A cavernous room was flooded with light, but it didn't seem to get into the corners, like the darkness was pushing the light back. Yuugi looked around in open curiosity, but the room was empty, save a rat here or there and a musty stench.

"The tablet of Osiris was here for a bit," Malik said, walking across the room. Yuugi started to follow, but Malik flicked a hand at him dismissively. Yuugi stilled. "Men have died here. Can you feel it? So many Shadow Games in this place, it's like the Shadow Realm is trying to break right through." Malik turned back to Yuugi from the center of the room. "Perfect, don't you think?"

Yuugi's hair was standing on end more than usual. He put down the suitcase, moving towards one of the walls stiffly. Malik bent to the ground and removed the Rod from its slim case. As soon as his fingers closed on it, he sighed, and a dangerous smile slid across his face. "You know what we're here for, don't you?"

Yuugi could feel the maliciousness in Malik's gaze without even meeting his eyes. "Yes," he said when he got the sense Malik was waiting for an answer. Yuugi's shoulders were tense, and his back seemed to tingle, but he fitted his amethyst earring into his ear again. _Forgive me, Dark Magician._

"Good," Malik purred, stroking the Rod with one hand. "Let's get started."

The shadows blackened, and the lights grew dimmer. The darkness encroached and made Yuugi cold. He felt, briefly, as if fingers were pulling at his arms and shoulders, but the sensation faded as the darkness solidified into the Shadow Realm.

"The rules are simple," Malik mocked, and Yuugi swallowed, meeting his gaze finally. Malik's eyes were wide with manic glee. "You can fight back as hard as you want, but you will fall before my Gods! _Sky Dragon Osiris, come forth!"_

There was a heaviness in the air, like the weight of the world bearing down on the room, but there was nothing – not at first. Then, with great force but like a whisper: _What is this?_

Malik was waiting impatiently, but Yuugi saw he could not hear the voice. He answered in his mind. _The Pharaoh calls you, Osiris._

_He does not! _There was fury. _You have given my token to another!?_

_Obey him! _Yuugi urged, his eyes flicking to Malik. _For my sake, come!_

_Then I come!_

Belatedly there was a roar that shook the building, and the Sky Dragon Osiris fell from the endless void above them. He coiled above Malik, his golden eyes on Yuugi; his great body took up half the warehouse. Both sets of teeth glistened, like the grin of Death. Wind from his coming buffeted against Yuugi and Malik both.

Malik's fingers were to tight around the Rod his knuckles were white. He looked up at the god with awe. "The God Osiris!" he gasped, and then suddenly, he started to laugh. "Finally, you come to me!" The Sky Dragon rose up, lifting its head. Yuugi watched him, awed again by his majesty. Malik drew his attention with a shout. "What do you think, Yuugi!? Won't you call your Magician? Give him an opponent!"

Yuugi hesitated to do it, but finally he brushed his earring. "_Dark Magician,_" he murmured, and Shadow Being materialized out in front of him, his arms crossed and head bowed. He was no taller than the width of Osiris' jaw. The Magician looked up to Osiris; his gaze flicked back to Yuugi. "Defend," Yuugi told him, and the Magician went to his knee.

"Good choice," Malik sneered. "Osiris! Attack the Dark Magician!"

_No._

Malik looked up at the god, and Yuugi's heart clenched; had he heard the refusal? Osiris was refusing to bend to Malik's will as Obelisk had refused to bend to Kaiba's; they answered only to Yuugi, their 'Pharaoh'.

If Malik realized this, Yuugi could not even imagine the retaliation. _Attack me! Do it, Osiris! Don't hold back!_

"Why do you hesistate!?" Malik demanded, but the Dragon ignored him.

_Who is this, a man that holds my token and yet attacks you? Why should I allow myself to be used this way?_

Yuugi drew a deep breath and held it. There was no time for explanations. _The Son of Ra commands this. Attack me!_

… _I obey the will of the Pharaoh._

The Sky Dragon Osiris drew back his head, opening its great maw. White-hot energy formed in its mouth; a roar of power filled Yuugi's ears, drowning out Malik's laugh of triumph. His heart tried to pound its way out of his chest; Yuugi pressed a hand to his breast and closed his eyes.

The blast whipped the Dark Magician away and sent Yuugi into the wall.

&

When Yuugi awoke he was on the floor of the concrete room, grime on his palms. He lay on his side, half propped up by the wall. His head spun and his vision was blurry, and he had the sense that his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"Get up, Yuugi! We're not done here," Malik shouted at him. The darkness was still oppressive, the Shadow Realm still open and twisting reality around them. Yuugi said nothing, staggering to his feet and leaning heavily against the wall, hanging his head when he thought he would faint again. He saw with a glimpse that Osiris still hung in the air, its talons curled near Malik's head. "God's power is magnificent, isn't it? And that power was nothing to him, just a breath. If I willed it, he would crush you without a thought," the Rod Bearer sneered.

_Thank you, _Yuugi thought wearily to the Dragon. Osiris did not reply.

"Try to stay on your feet, Yuugi. _Obelisk the Tormentor, I call you!_"

Yuugi still felt as though the room were spinning around him, but he didn't hesitate this time. _Obelisk the Tormentor, come forth!_ He commanded a beat behind Malik, and spread his legs to keep himself upright against the wall.

Obelisk rose from the ground behind Malik, and Osiris shifted around him to make room, the red sinuous body snaking around the great blue bulk of the second God. His fists rested to either side of Malik as Malik grinned up at him.

_I hear and obey, Pharaoh!_ Obelisk rumbled.

"Magnificent," Malik breathed. He turned back to Yuugi. "Call your Shadow Being back, Yuugi."

"I cannot," Yuugi answered breathlessly. It was not entirely the truth, but to subject the Dark Magician to this as well was simply foolishness.

"Hah! You know there's nothing that can face the gods."

"Of course. I have called them as well," Yuugi panted.

Malik frowned at that, and Yuugi realized it had been a mistake to remind Malik that he had been the one to summon the gods. But it was too late to take it back. "Obelisk! Attack him!"

_Do it, _Yuugi added.

_What madness is this!? I will not! _Obelisk thundered. Yuugi winced from the force of it.

_You will! _Yuugi answered, mustering something like fury. _Will you disobey _me!?

_You are not in your right mind! You will not survive it!_

_I will. You must. Do it!_

Obelisk was still for a moment longer, but then he lifted his mighty fists from the ground. Like Osiris's mouth before he attacked, they grew bright with power. He threw one fist forward towards Yuugi's face, and before it even touched Yuugi he was slammed back again, scraping his elbows and back against the wall. "Augh!"

The fist stopped before him, inches from his nose, filling his vision completely. _Do not ask this of me again, Pharaoh. I will not kill you. _And then it hit him, passed through him, but it was still more than enough. Yuugi collapsed, blinded by light. He rolled to his knees as a wave of nausea came over him, and he retched up the mint coffee from the little shop before coughing uncontrollably into his hand. Blood and spit coated his dirty palm. He did not see Obelisk withdraw or Malik throwing his arms wide in exultation.

_But a fraction, and still, _Yuugi thought. _I've put this power in Malik's hands. Aibou, forgive me--!_

He wasn't even aware of the Shadow Realm fading, but he noticed when the oppressive weight of the presence of the gods disappeared, and Malik's shadow fell over his face. "Beg for forgiveness, Yuugi," he said, his voice low and alluring. "Beg for mercy and I might consider letting you have the Puzzle sometime this year."

Yuugi didn't dare look up. This was the Malik that had carved the secrets of the Tombkeepers into his back with his own hand. "Forgive me," he gasped, not rising from where he was crouched on the ground. He was dizzy with pain. "Forgive me for not obeying you, Pharaoh." He twisted away from own vomit, bowing on his hands and knees at Malik's feet until his forehead touched the ground. "I will never go against your will again. Please have mercy."

Malik said nothing for a long moment, crouching on his toes over Yuugi's head. Yuugi didn't even twitch, his breathing labored; then a hand came down, cupping his chin and forcing Yuugi to raise his head. Malik's face was twisted with a cold smile, but his eyes were full of fury. "Don't make promises you can't keep," he said.

Yuugi said nothing. Malik released his chin and stood. "Stay right there," he said, his voice rough over Yuugi as another bout of coughing wracked Yuugi's lungs. "I don't think you've earned your Puzzle back yet."

Yuugi stilled himself with effort, hoarse, empty praise on his bloody lips. _For aibou, anything. Anything at all._

_Ende Chapter 18_


	19. Aftershocks

**Chapter 19: Aftershocks**

In downtown Saint Petersburg, near the massive Winter Palace of the Tsars and overlooking the great Neva River, Shizuka lifted her eyes from her solyanka soup and gazed out across the restaurant before glancing at Ryou. Ryou frowned and felt at his stomach where the Millennium Ring rested. Jonouchi, however, suddenly sat up from his borscht-kotlety-pirozhky-studen dinner with his soup spoon halfway to his mouth, spilling the soup into his lap. "Holy—OW!" He immediately started beating at his pants.

Anzu gasped and stuffed her napkin in a glass of water, swiping at his lap. Everyone else stared at him openly. "Brother, what …?" Shizuka began.

"Yeah, what could distract _you_ from food?" Honda asked cheekily. Jonouchi flipped him the finger as soon as he'd recovered from his minor accident, then motioned everyone to lean in over the round table.

"Didja feel that?" he asked his sister.

"Yes, but—" Shizuka began.

"Man, it was like getting punched in the back of my head," Jonouchi grumbled.

"What was?" Anzu wanted to know.

"Shadow Magic," Jonouchi and Shizuka said together.

Ryou snapped his fingers. "That's what it is! I thought it was my Ring," he explained.

"Someone's using a really powerful Shadow Being. No … maybe more," Jonouchi explained in a low voice. "Couldn't tell you where, but the last place I felt that was in Cairo, at the Mausoleum, and at Shadi's warehouse."

"The Gods?" Honda asked, wide-eyed.

"Exactly," Jonouchi answered. "Not as near here. Heck of a lot further away. Just … startled me. But!" he added, raising a finger triumphantly, "We know who has the Gods! Yuugi!"

Anzu nodded, her superhuman mind having already put that together. "But Kaiba has one of them," she pointed out. "The token and the tablet both."

"Actually, he doesn't. You didn't hear this from me – aw heck, it's not like you weren't going to find out sooner or later – but Yuugi took the token of Obelisk," Jonouchi explained. "So he has two Gods."

"The third one is here too," Ryou pointed out. "That's what Honda said."

"That's what Kaiba told me," Honda confirmed. "The Eye, too."

This brought a brief silence down. "Do you think Yuugi-kun is trying to collect the final God?" Shizuka asked.

"Since he seemed so hell-bent on the other two, I guess so," Honda grumbled.

"If he's here, we might run into him again," Anzu said with an air of interest.

"That's both good news and bad news," Jonouchi grumbled. "Think we can punch some sense into him?"

"Not as long as the Puzzle's such a big deal to him." Honda slumped back in his chair and picked at his food irritably.

Ryou (whose portion was approximately the same size as Jonouchi's) looked at his rapidly cooling soup with longing. "Maybe the Ring can point the way towards the battle?" he asked.

"Try," Anzu urged, but at the same time Jonouchi and Shizuka both started shaking their heads.

"It's fading," Shizuka said with a sigh.

"It's over," Jonouchi said almost on top of her.

"… well, at least we know Yuugi-san is here?" Ryou offered hopefully.

"And that we'll probably run into him," Anzu agreed.

"And that we might have already been beaten to the God," Honda added. "That's not good, especially if it's Yuugi."

"Yeah," Jonouchi agreed, eyeing his borscht. "He never loses."

&

For the second day in a row, Petrov had not left his apartment. He lay in his bed, staring at his ceiling, engaged in conversation with the new voices in his head.

He was pretty sure he wasn't crazy. The things the voices knew and discussed were so far out of his knowledge he was sure it hadn't come out of his own mind. The first voice was Y.Senen – now calling himself Bakura. The name was one the second voice recognized, and he seemed to alternately appreciate and despise Bakura, who was crafty and brilliant and bloodthirsty.

The second voice called himself High Priest Aknadin. Petrov had gasped, shocked at the name. _The High Priest of Aknamkanon, father of the Nameless Pharaoh!_

_Those names are sacred! _Aknadin had snarled in Ancient Egyptian. It was all he spoke. If there was any insanity in Petrov's head, it was Aknadin, who ranted and cried and seemed horrendously uncertain of what he wanted out of life.

_He's only half a person, I think, _Bakura had grumbled to Petrov. _His voice will fade, and you will inherit him._

_I don't want to inherit him!_ Petrov had thought. _He's insane!_

_He is, isn't he? _Bakura mused, laughter in his tone. _Perfect._

For all their confused conversations – and, indeed, Aknadin grew more disjointed, his voice fragmenting – Petrov had learned quite a lot from them. The people who had prevented him from keeping the tablet he had wanted to see was a terrorist group called the New Order. Bakura wasn't a fan of them, either, but that was how he'd found out about Petrov himself, and he'd gifted Petrov with the Eye. With the Eye, Petrov could participate in Shadow Games and use Shadow Magic – and he knew how, as if he had been doing it all his life. Never did he doubt it was real, although right now he could barely walk straight for all the talking in his head. The Items were mostly held by the lead sponsor of the New Order, one Malik Ishtal, which Bakura didn't precisely mind; he simply needed to get in contact with him and steal them all.

For Bakura, this normally wouldn't be a problem. However, first he needed his body back. His body was some kid from England with a Japanese name, who had the Millennium Ring, which he was the spirit of. Bakura intended to find the kid and then use Petrov to return him there. Petrov had no objections, which made Bakura laugh. _You're much more cooperative than my landlord! He fought me at first, but now he's just a puppet. He'd better not get himself killed._

_I just want you out of my head, _Petrov had replied.

Aknadin, on the other hand, was the remaining vestiges of the High Priest who had actually _created_ the Millennium Items. He seemed to know Bakura, vaguely; Bakura knew him as well, but Aknadin was mad and Bakura wasn't telling, so Petrov didn't know how they knew each other. However, Aknadin seemed bent, in his saner moments, on collecting the Millennium Items as well. As Aknadin's voice broke down, Petrov found the desire to find the Items (something he had longed for since he had begun to study the Eighteenth Dynasty) kept growing as well.

Bakura gave the impression of smiles and nurtured that inclination. _Your _ka_ tablet will draw them all here, every last one of the Item carriers, _he promised. _And the guy who banished me here. I want to deal with him personally, if I have to drag you along!_

Petrov wasn't certain he had a choice. Already he had found himself unexpectedly in his kitchen drinking milk straight from the carton, which was not a habit he usually engaged in, and once at his laptop on a website he had never heard of. Bakura had readily admitted to controlling him. _You're easy to suppress, but I'm not used to your body. Get used to that, until I go home._

Petrov didn't even know when he did it, so he didn't have a chance to resist. It was annoying but thus far unharmful, and Petrov was still reeling from all the thoughts that weren't his.

Right now Aknadin was upset. _The Gods are being gathered! They will win, win … the Pharaoh …_

_Sit down and shut up! _Bakura roared, but he too was agitated.

Petrov wanted to know what was going on.

_You, shut up, _Bakura hissed.

_No, _Petrov snapped. _What's got you both upset!? I want to sleep and I cannot. This is mad._

Bakura considered this. _I suppose you should know. Your _ka_ tablet, it's a God of Egypt given form: Ra, the Phoenix. There are two others. Both were in Cairo, but now …_

_Now?_ Petrov prompted.

_Now they are _here! Bakura swore. _Someone's gathering them up, probably Ishtal. Him having two already, that's a problem. Him being here is nothing but good news._

_How do you know they're here? _Petrov asked.

_I can sense them being used. Now shut up. I'll shut Aknadin up, and you get some sleep. I can't have you tired for the next couple of days._

_Wh—_

_Shut up and try to sleep!_ Bakura snapped, and he would not speak with Petrov again.

&

"And the master of the Blue Eyes White Dragons is?"

"Seto … Seto Kaiba."

Yuugi's breath was rattling in his chest. Malik supposed he should have cared, but in truth, the sound pleased him. Rishid would make sure he was cared for when the time came.

The driver was paid well enough to keep his mouth shut, so he didn't question it when Malik half-dragged Yuugi out of the underground storage facility and deposited him in the back seat. They were slowly making their way back to Yuugi's hotel now while Malik made use of his weakness for information.

"And what else do you know about Seto Kaiba?" Malik asked, filing the information away. Kaiba … probably related to Kaiba Corp somehow, famous for their security software and hardware both. He could find out quite a lot from that information alone, but it was possible Yuugi knew more personal things.

Malik felt little in the way of compassion for Yuugi, especially now. The Gods had answered him because they thought he was Pharaoh, which merely confirmed Malik's suspicions: this was the spirit of the Puzzle, not Yuugi Mutou. This was the spirit who had wanted Malik's father mutilated and murdered. This was who Malik wanted to hurt and hurt and finally, at the end of it all, break.

But Yuugi shook his head – more like rolled it from side to side against the headrest. "Nothing," he replied, his eyes closed.

"You learned nothing despite Shadow Gaming him?" Malik asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I played it … to escape him."

"And to steal the token of Obelisk from him. My sister told me this," Malik informed him. "Was Shadi betraying me to this Kaiba?"

Yuugi nodded. "Yes … Shadi … he told them everything he knew, about the Gods—" his voice cracked and he bent over, coughing.

Malik watched, knowing there would be blood on his hands; he thrust a handkerchief towards him. "Wipe that up."

Yuugi's shoulders stopped heaving with coughs, and he took the handkerchief, wiping his mouth and hand with it. His hands were shaking.

"'Them'?" Malik asked when Yuugi had put his elbows on his knees, fingers white-knuckled around the handkerchief.

Yuugi's head turned sharply, meeting Malik's gaze with a wild look before it was masked. _Interesting!_ "Kaiba's people," he said almost too quickly. "Kaiba wasn't acting alone, of course."

"Do you know any of these other people?" Malik asked in an almost teasing tone, bending over to try to glimpse his servant's face.

Yuugi pressed his cleaner hand against his chest, a familiar gesture; it was how he tried to calm his heartbeat when it raced, when he was worn out by Shadow Games. His eyes were closed. "No. I've never met any of them before," he said.

Malik twisted his head down further. "I think you're lying," he said, bent double in his seat to look at Yuugi's face.

Yuugi's brows drew together and he opened his eyes to slits, his breath hitching in threat of another coughing fit, but out of the corner of his eye he clearly noticed Malik bent towards him. He jerked upright. "No!" he said, his voice rough.

"You hadn't met any of them?" Malik prompted, sitting up slowly.

Yuugi considered this, his eyes flicking back and forth between Malik and the floor. "Perhaps one of them, in passing," he admitted, apparently thinking about this. "But none of the others."

Malik pursed his lips and leaned back in his seat again. They were getting close to Yuugi's hotel. "I'll find out if you're lying, you know," Malik pointed out. "The truth will set you free." He smirked.

But Yuugi had some last bit of resistance in him, apparently. A smile ghosted across his pale face. "I doubt that," he answered in a voice that Malik doubted he was meant to hear.

Malik could appreciate a sense of humor. He shrugged slightly. "In your case, no," he admitted. "But with your track record …"

"I don't know who they are," Yuugi interrupted, not looking at him. His gaze had gone to the window; they were pulling up to his hotel.

"You're in room 436," Malik said, drawing Yuugi's gaze again. He reached into his pocket and handed Yuugi the key card to the room. "Rishid will be there, waiting for you. Get some rest, Yuugi; you and I will be going _ka_ tablet hunting tomorrow."

Yuugi shifted uncomfortably. "You and me …?" he asked.

Malik merely smiled. "Can you walk on your own?" he asked. "Or shall the driver escort you?"

"I can walk," Yuugi answered. "I can walk …"

"Then get going," Malik said, making a shooing motion. "Later, Yuugi."

Yuugi had to throw his weight against the door to open it; his hands were still trembling, and he worked hard for his breath. "Pharaoh," he said, appropriately reverent, and half-fell out of the car.

"Take the elevator!" Malik advised, and shut the door after him. He picked up his cell phone and called a certain number.

"Hello?" said the person on the other end of the line.

"Rishid," Malik said.

He heard a hitch of breath on the other end. "Master Malik," his brother began, but Malik cut him off.

"Come to the lobby and pick up your charge," Malik advised. "He's not well."

"…" Malik could see Rishid bowing his head in his mind's eye. "What have you done to him?" he asked quietly.

"I just played a Shadow Game with him," Malik answered. "Seriously, pick him up before he makes a scene. Goodnight, Rishid."

"Master Ma—" _Click._

&

In the Saint Petersburg airport, Valon picked up his bags from the customs desk and started for the terminal exit. Seto Kaiba's instructions weren't terribly specific: go to the hotel and wait for word from either Hiroto Honda or Katsuya Jonouchi, his second-in-commands. He was part of a unit that had been brought into everything late, but Valon had worked hard to become trusted enough by Kaiba to help with the munitions aspect of things. Seto Kaiba, a billionare with the resources to search for the Millennium Items, was an ideal person to attach himself to.

Valon had yet to meet any of the core team face-to-face, but before he had been instructed to go to Russia, he had received word from Raphael in Cairo – before Raphael had simply disappeared. The Millennium Ring had resurfaced, in the hands of a thief loosely associated with Kaiba.

The bearer of the Ring would be a perfect candidate for Oricalchos. Valon had wanted to take Raphael's place, to go to Cairo and try to take the Ring Bearer's soul, but before he could get himself sent there Kaiba had ordered him to Russia. Valon had grumbled but gone.

Nonetheless, he was apparently where all the action would be. The core team was supposedly in St. Petersburg as well; Valon was close. It was, at least, a step in the right direction: the God of Atlantis would be fed only the best souls.

_Ende Chapter 19_


	20. Don't Drink the KoolAid

**Chapter 20: Don't Drink the Kool-Aid**

"No one knows how a Dark Game is conducted, exactly," Jonouchi told Ryou. "Kaiba has played a couple. I've been forced into one, but the guy who did it died before anyone could ask him how he started it."

Ryou nodded, his eyes wide. The way Jonouchi referred to the Shadow Game, Ryou felt he had no right to ask questions.

Jonouchi looked at Ryou with a cocky grin. "But you have an Item, so you should be able to start a Dark Game as well. Also, you remember what was on that tablet Anzu analyzed for us, right? The Items have special powers. Yours should, too."

"What power would it have?" Ryou asked.

"I dunno. I guess you'd have to find out for yourself," Jonouchi shrugged. "Anyway … let's get started." He squared his shoulders and took a stance like he was going to rush Ryou and tackle him. "Try to start a Dark Game with me."

It was mid-afternoon the day after their arrival in Saint Petersburg. The tourist season had ended and Saint Petersburg was rapidly getting too cold for comfort; Jonouchi wore a windbreaker, and Ryou had donned a sweater Honda had loaned him. They were on a stretch of gravel next to one of the numerous canals that Saint Petersburg boasted; the city wasn't called 'The Northern Venice' for nothing. The architecture was gorgeous and viewable from nearly anywhere in the city, structures built for the pleasure of the tsars that had ruled Russia for so long before Lenin and Stalin. They bespoke a long history of the majesty of tyrants. Ryou felt some minor kinship for the oppressed people that had lived here; after all, he'd been repressed so far and for so long he had only recently found out what _year_ it was.

There were no tourists here. Jonouchi had brought him here for what they hoped would be a successful Shadow Game, but Ryou was nervous. "Couldn't I hurt you?" he asked.

"Not before I hurt you," Jonouchi smirked, but he sobered quickly. "Yeah, yeah, you could probably hurt me. But the way I understand it, _you_ set the rules and the stakes. So don't make any terms that could hurt us and we'll be fine."

"Easier said than done," Ryou grumbled under his breath in English, but he nodded. "All right. I'm starting!" He closed his eyes and concentrated.

In his mind, he pictured the Ring; in reality, he grabbed it in his hands. It was cool to the touch; the pointers clinked against each other in the breeze. He imagined his hands reaching out and grabbing the Ring in his mind.

The Ring began to warm in his fingers. Ryou frowned, his eyes closed. Darkness seemed to radiate from the Ring, from his fingers. _So this is the Shadow. _He slitted his eyes open, looking at the blurry form of Jonouchi some fifteen feet away. He pushed the shadows towards Jonouchi. "Dark Game," he said, raising his voice as he spoke.

There was a sense of darkness under the cloudless sky; the strip of gravel under their feet seemed to waver, and the canal gave the eerie sense that it was no longer really _water_ but maybe, just maybe something else more sinister. And it was cold, cold deep in Ryou and cold outside him, but he was numb and it felt oddly comforting. The Ring, in contrast, was hot now.

Jonouchi had crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah," he murmured, looking around, "This is the Shadow Realm. Shit … I don't miss this place at all. Nice job getting it on your first try?" It sounded like a question.

"I-I … it feels like I've done this before, but I haven't," Ryou said nervously. "Perhaps it's like muscle memory … my other self has done it, after all."

Jonouchi waved his hand dismissively. "Who cares! You did it, now make it go away."

Ryou licked his lips. "I don't know how. At the warehouse the darkness went only when I fainted."

Jonouchi's lips twitched. "We'll use knocking you cold as a last resort. Set up a game, doofus, that's what people do in the Shadow Realm. You gotta pick stakes, though, and don't pick souls for stakes! No one's dying here."

"Uh …" Ryou looked at the gravel at his feet, and over the water that wasn't water. "Um – whomever throws a stone furthest wins! The winner gets to … to pick what's for dinner," he tried.

Jonouchi actually laughed. "Best game I've ever played! Get ready for the closest pizza joint, Ryou," he warned, picking up a stone.

&

Elsewhere, Petrov was not Petrov.

Bakura didn't much like Petrov's body. It was older than he had ever been, and while in good shape, Bakura did not look forward to pushing forty in his landlord's body. Petrov, dazed and confused by the newness of having literal voices in his head, was not fully aware of how much time he had lost, and he would not, with any luck, be aware of this little trip either.

It was time to set up his trap.

The _ka _tablet of Ra was a powerful asset. For some reason or another, Malik was after the rumored _ka_ tablets. Bakura wished he knew why, but thanks to that damn kid who could play Shadow Games without an Item, he might never find out. He knew about the Gods and craved their power, but not why they were so important all of a sudden. He could only gather so much information from his sources in Cairo, who had not been well-placed without his guidance.

He had entrusted his soul to Petrov because Petrov had a Millennium Item, though – the God was just a bonus. Sure enough, the Eye had provided a home for him readily enough, and when the High Priest's consciousness had fully sunk into Petrov's mind, Petrov would be far more inclined to work with Bakura.

The tablet was just bait. Malik would be along in interest of gaining it; or, if he couldn't catch the bear, his little lackey cub would be along in his place. Kaiba too would be interested in gaining this tablet; the man was power-hungry. Not as power-hungry as Bakura, perhaps, but still …

Having Kaiba as financial backup had been extremely helpful to Bakura all this time. It was time to throw Kaiba a bone, he decided; Kaiba would fall on it like a rabid dog.

_No, not throw him a bone, _he mused. _Put the bone in the hands of someone else. _He snickered to himself.

"Thank you, Mr. Kazynski," the bank manager said politely in Russian. "We appreciate your continuing business."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't pay you to stand over my shoulder," Bakura griped. "Get going." As soon as the manager had left the little room, he opened the lockbox he had placed two years ago, under Petrov's name.

Inside was a card. It was, ironically, designed like a Duel Monsters card – the game that Kaiba had obsessed over before the unfortunate disappearance of his brother's soul. Bakura enjoyed irony. He figured he would enjoy the irony of what he was going to do to that spiky-haired kid even more if he could place where he had seen the boy before …

_Enough. _Bakura picked up the card and placed it in a small case. With any luck, Malik or his lackey would be the first to reach Petrov – and Bakura would be there to give him this little present.

He left the lockbox empty and open, leaving the bank with alacrity. "Mr. Kazynski!" the bank manager called after him, but Bakura waved him off. "Put the box away. I might need it later," he intoned.

But it was as he was about to get into his car (a nice, German model; Bakura could certainly appreciate the V8 engine and fantastic pickup), he was struck with a sense he had doubted to feel so soon after the Gods the night before: a Dark Game. And not just any Shadow Game, either!

Bakura closed the door to Petrov's car and dropped his head against the wheel, closing his eyes and smirking. _Oh, landlord … _he singsonged into the darkness, as the Millennium Eye under his eyepatch glowed.

&

Jonouchi gave a fantastic toss – right over the water and to the opposite shore. Ryou shook his head, almost amused; there was no way he could match a throw like that. Then again, he _was_ pretty muscular … he picked up a stone while Jonouchi shouted at him. "Hah! Beat that!"

_Oh, landlord!_

Ryou almost dropped his stone, freezing with his arm half cocked back. "Eh!?" he gasped, staring into the distance. That wasn't Jonouchi … that was the voice of the man in his dream. _Say 'thank you', _he had said then, and now, his tone was full of the same cruel amusement.

_You can hear me. How fortunate. I'm sure you miss me._

Ryou's throat tightened. "You're … you're the other me, aren't you!?"

_The other you!? _The voice laughed. _Don't be so arrogant! I was never a part of you. I've just been borrowing your body for a while … and by the way, that contract isn't up yet. The Ring is mine, and your body is mine, and I'm coming back for it!_

Jonouchi was staring at him. "Ryou, what the hell …?" he asked, but Ryou ignored him.

"Where are you?" Ryou asked, forcibly slowing his breathing. "What do you mean, our contract isn't up!?"

_Oh, I'm nearby. Interesting, you're with that Jonouchi kid. You hanging out with Kaiba's little group? How perfectly _useful!

Ryou clenched his fist around the stone in his hand. "Answer my question!" he demanded.

_Fine. I'm with the Millennium Eye … for now. And I've got a little present for dear Seto – the tablet of Ra, the Phoenix. Tell him that, won't you?_

_I guess I'll let you back to your Shadow Game now. Jonouchi's not doing so well. Normal mortals can't last long in the Shadows, you know. I'll look forward to seeing you!_

And just like that, he was gone. Ryou stood stock-still, the stone dropping from his hand. The Shadow Game ended then; Jonouchi had thrown his stone almost seventy-five feet. Ryou had thrown his less than an inch.

&

Yuugi woke up to the sound of Rishid coming in the hotel room door. His eyes slitted open and he blinked. "Rishid?" he asked hoarsely.

"Good afternoon," Rishid greeted him gently. Yuugi smelled food – salt and broth. His stomach lurched.

"Afternoon?" he asked, trying to process the words. He glanced at the clock: 2:23 PM. His stomach lurched again, and he sat up, throwing himself off the side of the bed only to stagger dizzily and almost hit the ground. "The Pharaoh—"

Rishid caught him around the chest before he could clock his head on the thin carpet. Yuugi clutched Rishid's sleeve, his breath rattling in his chest. The room couldn't be more than five degrees Celcius for how much he was shaking. "Master Malik is not here," Rishid said, lifting Yuugi bodily with two arms wrapped around his torso. "You have a fever. Lay down, Mutou."

"He said we would be … today, we would be looking for the tablet of Ra," Yuugi explained, but he didn't have the strength to fight back when Rishid aided him back into his bed. He gripped Rishid's arm for support as he was laid back, the room spinning around him. "He will be furious."

But Rishid just shook his head, pulling the covers back up over Yuugi's body. "You are sick," he said. "Whatever my brother did to you, coupled with your own foolishness in Cairo, has worn your body past its limits. You are going to eat as much of this broth as you can, and then you are going to sleep."

Yuugi processed this slowly, his brain moving sluggishly. "But … Malik …?"

"He called for you to come to his car this morning," Rishid confirmed, and Yuugi groaned miserably. Rishid continued over him, "But you were far too unwell. You are useless to him like this. If you want to help Master Malik, then you should concentrate on recovering quickly."

Every breath was labor. "You convinced him not to take me," he stated.

"I did." Rishid had turned away. He turned back with a bowl of brothy soup.

"That was foolish," Yuugi said breathlessly. He grimaced and got himself halfway upright on shaky limbs. Reaching back, he rearranged a pillow to lean on. "He'll be angry with you as well, now."

"Master Malik has been angry with me for years," Rishid said. Yuugi looked up at him, but Rishid was stirring the broth before placing it on Yuugi's lap. "But he still listens to me, sometimes. Eat your soup." He got to his feet and started to limp to the desk.

Yuugi followed him with his eyes. Rishid's relationship with Malik was a mystery to Yuugi; Rishid was deeply dedicated to him, but he didn't seem to quite approve of his brother at the same time. It was strange, but Yuugi didn't want to pry, just as Rishid never pried about the Puzzle. He reached for the spoon. His hand shook, and the thought of eating turned Yuugi's stomach, but he had to have something; he hadn't eaten since before leaving Cairo. "How's your leg?" he asked.

"Better," Rishid replied. Indeed, his limp had lessened. He said nothing more, and Yuugi shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth. He could barely taste it; his tongue was still burned from the coffee the day before. The soup burned down his throat. Rishid took a book off the desk and step-thumped his way back to his bed, where he settled down to read. "Tell me when you are done. If you need to so much as use the toilet, tell me," Rishid instructed. "You can barely walk right now. I think it's a miracle you can talk coherently."

Yuugi let a smile ghost his face, but he knew it was awful-looking. He took another spoonful of soup, which went down a bit easier. "Thank you, Rishid," he said sincerely.

Rishid's mouth halfway turned up in a painful slash of a smile. "It is enough thanks to have you not argue with my orders, for once," he answered, and opened his book.

&

"The Eye, it's definitely here," Ryou said excitedly. He was spreading a map in their hotel room, pinning down its edges with the alarm clock , a pad of paper, anything heavy enough to keep the folded map unfolded.

The ANZU unit, Jonouch, Honda, and Shizuka all hovered over Ryou's shoulder. "What exactly are you doing again?" Honda asked.

"Dowsing," Ryou answered. "It's a magical way to find items on a map. You need an article of the thing or person you are dowsing for, usually, but the Ring is its own dowser. It can find Items, so theoretically, it should point to where an Item is on a map, if you want it to."

"Aren't you nervous at all? I mean, you said your other self was with the Eye," Jonouchi said. "And if I understand that, I'll eat a ton of hotdogs."

"You could do that, no sweat," Anzu pointed out, smiling.

"Shut up," Jonouchi grumbled.

Ryou looked up at Jonouchi earnestly. "No, you're right; I'm a little scared," he admitted. "But I've just been tagging along so far, so I'd like to be helpful."

"Translating the menu last night was helpful," Shizuka pointed out.

Ryou blushed a little. "Just a little, though," he answered, taking the Ring off his neck. "Anyway, this is a map of Saint Petersburg. If this works, the Ring will point us right to where the Millennium Item is – in this case, the Eye."

"And you know it's here because … your other self talked to you about it?" Honda asked in a skeptical manner.

"He says he's not my other self – he's actually another spirit," Ryou explained. He shrugged at Honda. "I don't know either, but – but I'm sure he's right." He closed his eyes. "Please be quiet. I need to concentrate." Letting out the length of the tough string that held the Ring around Ryou's wrist, he dangled it over the map.

At first nothing happened. In fact, Jonouchi was just starting to get restless when suddenly, the Ring moved. It just twitched, but Ryou was completely still. "Woah!" he gasped, startled.

"Shh!" Anzu hissed, pressing a finger to her mouth. Her eyes were on the Ring as it twitched again, its pointers swinging.

Ryou began to move his arm in the direction the Ring had twitched. It swung back and forth, but more in one direction than the other; Ryou followed it, his eyes still closed. Then, as he approached the place marked on the map as the Hermitage Museum – formally the Winter Palace of the Tsars – the Ring suddenly stopped moving, all of its pointers straining towards the white square on the map. Ryou opened his eyes.

"Gotcha," he said, his eyes alight.

_Ende Chapter 20_

_WOOHOO Fifty Thousand words in 23 days! You know what this means, right? I've beaten the NaNoWriMo time! Go me!_

_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story, and thank you to everyone for your patience with my replies. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are appreciated and yes, still replied to. :D_


	21. Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 21: Calm Before The Storm**

"Kaiba, we've got a hit," Honda said. "Ryou's found the Millennium Eye."

"Any word on the final _ka_ tablet?" ANZU asked in Kaiba's voice.

"It might be with the Eye," Honda answered. "Jonouchi says there's a reason to believe that the Gods Obelisk and Osiris have been activated here in Saint Petersburg."

"I felt the Gods, but I didn't know where. Mutou is there?" Kaiba demanded.

"Quite probably," Honda nodded, privately amazed that Kaiba had felt the Gods from Australia. "But we haven't met him. In any case, we think we should go after the Eye and the final tablet while we can."

"Go," Kaiba agreed. "I'll contact V_kssssht _and get them to your lo_F-f-f-ffft-pharaoh—_"

Honda flinched at the voice emerging from ANZU's mouth as the connection began to fail. Surely he was hearing things. To hear EVPs in Cairo was nothing shocking, but here in St. Petersburg? And … "Yuugi?" he asked, his mouth dry.

"What?" Kaiba did not sound amused. "Honda, what _kshtkeee s-s-s-oul stealer. Honda-kun, Pharaoh Malik is meeting the soul stealer. Honda-kun, Pharaoh Malik is meeting the s-s—s-ssskststststs—don't go to Ku-ku-kucan'thearyoutoofarawaycan'theEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—"_

Honda clapped his hands over his ears. "Cut the connection!" he ordered, and ANZU obeyed. The moment she did so, her eyes widened. "Yuugi!?"

The reaction was so realistic. It was hard to believe that she was merely an android. Honda passed a hand over his eyes. "Yes. Sounds like he was issuing another warning."

It was somehow harder to hear his voice now, echoing and confused, since they had seen 'him' – or a spirit in his body, in any case – only a few days before. They had not yet discussed the implications in detail, honestly, and Honda wasn't sure he wanted to think about it, but it did seem like the Yuugi they knew was likely … dead.

_No, just trapped. Somehow, if that 'other' Yuugi was right, he's trapped with the Puzzle._ In some twisted way, it made sense with the recent developments; Miho-chan, her body still breathing but her mind gone, something vital – surely her 'soul' – missing. "The … soul-stealer?" he asked.

"It sounds like the recent changes in Shadow Magic might be involved," Anzu said thoughtfully. She put her finger to her lips, frowning.

"Maybe. But we don't know when Yuugi got separated from his body," Honda pointed out. "It could have happened any time in the last six years, and the changes in the Shadow Games started only recently." He hesitated. "ANZU, call Kaiba back."

"Affir—call incoming. It's Kaiba." The ANZU unit made a questioning motion.

"Pick it up," Honda sighed.

Something inside ANZU's chest clicked, her eyes closed, and then—"What the hell was that?" Kaiba demanded.

"An EVP. Sorry, it killed the connection."

"An EVP. I thought you were in St. Petersburg."

"We are." Honda paused. "It was Yuugi."

"Oh really." Kaiba sounded doubtful. "Same as before?"

"Similar, yes. It sounded almost like a recording. Kaiba, I'm sending you the EVP contents. Do me a favor and let ANZU hook up with your database, okay? Yuugi said something about Malik meeting the 'soul stealer'."

"Are you suggesting we operate on the intelligence issued by a ghost?" Kaiba asked dryly. "I'm not wasting my time on this."

Honda's lips thinned, and he played a low blow. "If it was your little brother who was issuing EVPs, would you ignore it?"

There was no immediate response. "… Mention him again, Honda, and—"

"What I'm saying is," Honda spoke over him, "is that the 'soul-stealer' might be related to whomever took Mokuba's soul."

"That's Malik. We know that already."

"How do we know that?" Honda demanded. "We know it was probably related to the Millennium Items, but we don't know what any of them do! Save the Ring, now, thanks to Ryou. Kaiba, any of the Items could have done this, and Malik doesn't have them all under his control." He paused for a moment to think.

It was Kaiba who picked up the slack. "… I'm in the process of cross-referencing the information on the tablet with what we know Malik has done. Hopefully we can get some idea of what Items do what based on that. But the odds are still high that Malik is the one that …" Kaiba's voice trailed off. "Permission granted. I'm sending the encryption codes now. You concentrate on the Eye for now."

"Before Yuugi cut you off, it sounded like you were saying something about sending in others with us?" Honda asked.

"That's right. Valon's group will contact you in an hour. Keep me updated."

"You know we will," Honda promised.

&

When Petrov awoke, he realized he was walking. Having expected to wake up in his bed, he felt a strong sense of vertigo and almost tripped.

Or rather, he would have tripped if _he_ had been the one walking his body. _What—_

_Oh, are you awake now? Hm, I guess it's for the best. I'm leaving two of my most important possessions in your hands, so pay attention._

It was Bakura again, clearly moving his body down the long, familiar corridor. It was the first time Petrov had awoken and not been able to take control of his own body, and he growled. _How dare you! You take my mind, now my body—_

_Do not make me take your soul as well, _Bakura chuckled. _You know where this is, do you not? I'm about to make an excellent business proposal, you know._

They had come to a door. Petrov's hand opened it, leading to a well-lit warehouse. Petrov's eyes moved straight to the largest thing in the room – the gigantic _ka_ tablet depicting a griffin – no, a phoenix, rising from ashes in flame. It had perplexed Petrov for many years; the firebird was not a being from Egyptian mythology, although the idea of a creature that rose and died in fire was their concept of the sun. _Yes, Petrov, that is Atum-Ra, the God of the Rising Sun. Although this monster is only known as Ra._

_Monster?_

But Bakura did not answer, instead turning his gaze towards the only other thing in the room; a man, tied to a chair. He was dark-skinned and dark-haired, and his eyes widened in alarm when they fell on Bakura. He prattled in Arabic, shouting in fear and anger.

Bakura made a fierce motion with one hand and replied. It was strange to Petrov to hear his voice speaking the language he had heard many times, but never learned. _What is he saying? What are you telling him!? What have you done, Bakura?_

But Bakura ignored him, approaching the man and crouching in front of him so they were eye to eye; he flipped open Petrov's eye patch.

_No, Bakura—_

The words that Bakura spoke were condescending, a challenge without a doubt. Petrov wished he could understand what was being said.

&

The Millennium Eye was supposedly the most corrupting of all the Items, but Bakura was sure that his landlord would argue otherwise. It was all he could do to not laugh as he used the Eye's power, boring into the Ghoul's mind.

Indeed, there was another presence here, another mind. It was not the same power as that of the Ring, but it was similar; doubtless, this was the work of the Millennium Rod. "You were depressingly easy to catch. You should rely less on your Shadow Magic, Ghoul."

"I will not tell you anything," the Ghoul gasped, but his voice trembled. "I will … w-will …"

His voice trailed off; his gaze grew blank. In the back of his mind, Bakura could feel Petrov figuratively holding his breath in anticipation. Bakura sneered, backing away from the Ghoul.

When the Ghoul revived, his mannerisms had changed; his gaze grew sharper, and any fear he had suffered before was gone. "The tablet of Ra," the Ghoul breathed. He jerked his arms. "Who restrained me?"

"Me." Bakura smirked, covering the Millennium Eye again. "I have the tablet, Malik, master of the Millennium Rod." He could not tap its power; he had tried when he had first come here with the Ghoul. The use of the other two Gods the night before had merely been confirmation to Bakura of the importance of the tablet.

The Ghoul's eyes narrowed. "How do you know me? Who are you?"

_Bakura, so help me, I'll—_

"I am Petrov Kazynski, Egyptologist. And I understand that you desire this tablet. I had hoped we might exchange – information." Bakura's mouth twitched. "I have learned all I can about this tablet, but I suspect you might be able to tell me more. And I know you have several of the mystical Millennium Items. I merely wish to see them, to examine them, and in exchange I will give you this ancient symbol of monstrous _ka._" Bakura paused for dramatic effect. "I regret that I had to find one of your followers and restrain him, but you are a hard man to get hold of."

_I don't know what you're doing or who you're talking to, but how could you use my name!?_ Petrov was despairing.

The Ghoul smirked. "You are in St. Petersburg, aren't you."

"That I am," Bakura agreed. "Look, I want to meet you, but not here. Let us meet downtown. I know a club there, the _Solyanka._ Shall we meet there, in, say, an hour?"

"How do you know I can be there so fast?" The Ghoul narrowed his eyes.

"If you cannot, you would tell me so." Bakura lips curled in amusement. "Meet me. Bring the Items with you, and I will take you to the tablet of Ra."

"Very well." The Ghoul's lips curled in a sneer. "It will be as you say." And with that, the Ghoul's chin fell to his chest.

_What just transpired? What are you doing with my body? _Petrov demanded.

_Patience, _Bakura soothed. _I will explain everything when it's ready. _With any luck, Bakura realized, he would be able to find out what was on the Tablet of Memories that he was after back in Cairo. He approached the Ghoul again, walking behind him.

"What … happened …?" the Ghoul asked, twitching awake again.

Bakura figured he was doing Malik a favor by snapping the Ghoul's neck.

&

Valon shrugged into his shoulder holsters. Around him, four others did the same. This was his unit, a group of five, working under Kaiba as Shadow Game chasers.

They had been working together for several months now; Valon looked around at the little group. Yamamoto, who had lost his parents in the tidal wave that had destroyed so much of the Japanese coastline; Mimura, whose sister had died in the earthquakes that followed. Rothman, who still walked with a limp, nearly killed when the World Trade Center collapsed. And Antoni, six of his cousins and a brother all rendered comatose by Shadow Magic. Of them, Valon could only promise to Antoni that it had been a good cause.

After all, it was his comrade Raphael who had taken their souls.

Amongst them, only Valon and Yamamoto had any ability with Shadow Magic. The rest of them were without magic, all working hard to help Kaiba's cause: to stop the root of the world's upheaval. Shadow Magic, the Millennium Items; they were never meant to be wielded by humans. Valon knew it went deeper than that. In fact, his purpose might have been considered more sinister by the others. The Millennium Items were merely rooted in the magic that had failed seven thousand years ago, in the lost continent of Atlantis; a world corrupted by them should no longer stand. Perhaps, someday, he would take their souls and feed them to the beast Dartz served. Then they would know they had died purifying the world as they hoped to, rather than wasting their lives on this useless cause.

However, it was easy to subvert and submit himself to Kaiba. He had known that if he worked hard, he would eventually end up being put in a position where he could easily steal the strongest souls – perhaps even that of Kaiba himself. He would serve Dartz well. Valon's Shadow Monster, the Psychic Armor Head, was powerful and useful even outside of battle, able to sense other monsters of a similar type, so it was simply a matter of time.

His opportunity came now. Kaiba's core group was made up of some of the most powerful Shadow Weilders known to Valon. He closed his eyes and let out a breath, misinterpreted as anticipation by Yamamoto.

"Excited?" Yamamoto asked.

"Nervous," Valon corrected.

"It's time," Rothman said, stepping away from his project, the ANIU unit that had been left with Rothman by Kaiba. The android looked like a human teenage male, and it reasonably imitated one, but in reality it was like having an extremely expensive, smart, and secure phone. Only fifty like it existed in the world. Not, unfortunately, as sophisticated as the ANZU unit with Kaiba's core team, but it worked and was secure, and that was all that mattered.

"Call ANZU," Valon instructed.

"Affirmative," the ANIU confirmed. Moments later, he heard a voice he had never before had the priveledge of hearing.

"Hey, is this Valon?"

"Jounouchi-san? Yes, it's Valon," he confirmed. "We're ready to go when you are." Valon nodded at the rest of his team.

"Good. All right, I'm sending you an address; your ANIU will lead you there. When you get there, secure the street block. Keep out anybody who's just wandering by, okay? We want to keep this down low and keep bystanders out of it."

"Can I ask what we're going after?" Valon asked. "I'd rather not go in blind."

"It's the Millennium Eye," Jounouchi answered. "And there might be some very powerful Shadow Beings involved, too, so just stand forewarned. I'll give you more information as soon as we get there."

"Yes, sir," Valon saluted. "Sir," the others echoed quietly.

The ANIU's eyes opened a moment later. "I've received an address. Shall I lead you to it?" it asked in the voice of a young man.

Valon shrugged into his red jacket. "That's your orders," he confirmed, and he ushered the unit out the door.

_Ende Chapter 21_

_Sorry for the REALLY LONG BREAK guys. I was struggling with the direction of this story, and with a bout of writer's block, as well as real life kicking me in the ass. Now that that's over with, I hope I can produce another long run of chapters for you all._

_Thank you for all the reviews, and I will make sure I reply to each and every one of you!_


	22. Pandora's Box

Chapter 22: Pandora's Box

The Solyanka was loud, dark, and filled with smoke, and expensive as hell to get into – to say nothing of the back rooms; in other words, it was the sort of place that only encouraged the richest sort of scum.

Malik would have been a lot happier to leave Mutou back at his hotel with Rishid, but where a God was involved, it seemed Mutou had to be. Malik knew the reason for this, but it didn't please him any more now than it had yesterday, when he had found out the truth of how …

He clenched his fist and relaxed it on the armrest of his plush chair. The room was small but ornate, and poorly lit; a poker table took up most of the room, surrounded by three comfortable chairs and a side table for booze and cigars. Petrov was running a bit late – probably to annoy him, Malik reflected irritably. He shot a glance at Mutou; the other boy had not moved, staring at the far wall with one hand clenched – no doubt around the piece of the Puzzle Malik had sent him – and the other pressed flat against the armrest of his chair. Left alone, Yuugi could retreat like this for hours at a time, and often did in times of immutable stress.

Malik had let Mutou – no, the Spirit of the Puzzle – get uppity, he reflected, annoyed with himself. He had let the spirit taste power and the Spirit had snapped at the bit, eager to hold it and wield it, thinking he could interpret orders and do as he pleased. While he doubted Mutou had meant to agitate him – after all, the Spirit would do nearly anything for a chance to solve the Puzzle – the mythical Pharaoh of Malik's childhood stories had controlled all three of the Gods and an even greater monster with no name. Mutou could probably barely help himself with these three great _ka._ Still, Malik would have to break him of that, remind him that he was _not_ the Pharaoh and that he had no right to these. Malik had wrested the crown from his hands; Malik was the new Pharaoh, and he would soon be affirmed as such. Soon – as soon as Yuugi had placed in his hands the token of the final God – their role reversal would be only a reassembled Puzzle and a few Items away from complete.

Yuugi's head turned slightly – almost a twitch. It was the first movement he had made since sitting in his chair. "An Item Bearer comes," he said, his voice low.

"The statue lives," Malik couldn't help mocking. Yuugi said nothing; he almost never did. He had almost entirely ceased to deliver his cutting, acerbic wit to Malik's face some years ago. "A Millennium Item? Are you sure it's not me you sense?"

Yuugi glanced at him, and Malik hated how despite the Spirit's best efforts to submit, he could still give Malik a look of such dismissal. His gaze turned away so fast, however, that it was fleeting, as if he knew he could not hide his contempt. "I am certain," the Spirit said slowly.

The door received a single knock before it was opened to admit a tall, stocky-looking Russian. His hair was blond with a smattering of gray at the temples; his shoulders were wide and his suit was neat but not overly pressed. Most notably, he wore an eye patch. "Hello," said the man in Arabic without a trace of an accent. "My name is Petrov Kazynski. Is it with the Bearer of the Millennium Rod I now speak?"

Malik recognized him immediately from his vision through his Ghoul – probably dead now, the poor fool – and narrowed his eyes. "My name is Malik," he said, ignoring the rudeness of not appending his last name, "And I bear the Rod, yes." He stood, offering his hand to the Russian, and Petrov shook it with a nearly crushing grip.

"Very good, sir, very good. You may guess that I am no ordinary Egyptologist, but I assure you my interest is entirely academic." To Malik's dismay, however, the man's single eye darted towards Mutou, who stared back at the man with a flat, unblinking glare. "… And your … servant?" Petrov asked, gesturing to Yuugi impatiently.

"His name is Mutou. Ignore him," Malik advised. In the back of his mind he recognized how incredibly irrational he was being when he felt seething anger that even this stranger fixed upon Yuugi as if he were something special. He grit his teeth against the emotion, setting it on the backburner. "More importantly, you should not lie, Mr. Kazynski. How painful was it, having your eye replaced with a Millennium Item?" The Eye, of course – it could pierce the minds of men. It was how Petrov had so easily called to him through the Ghoul.

Petrov smirked. "I see you are perceptive, Mr. Malik. But I wish to speak not of my Item, but of yours." He finally took his seat on the opposite side of the table, and Malik took his. "I promised I would bring you to the tablet if you would show me the Items you hold."

Malik reached for the narrow, flute-like case that held the Rod; the other Items were with him as well, but they were for later. He placed the case on the table and snapped it open.

The Rod stared up at them all, its single unblinking eye calling to Malik. It occurred to him that he did not wish Petrov to look into his mind; it would be best to hold the Rod and protect himself. He reached for it at the same moment as Petrov. "Hold," Malik snapped. "You may not examine it until you have taken me to the _ka _tablet. This is merely to show you my good faith." He reached for the Rod again and drew it out.

His irritation with the Spirit of the Puzzle surged again, then receded like a wave pulling at his feet. Malik's gaze went to Petrov, scheming suddenly how he could have the Eye taken from him. But Petrov gazed upon the narrow golden staff with lust. "There are more. You must show me them."

"Not yet," Malik said simply, smiling a little to see how easily Petrov succumbed to his desire for power. "Take me to your tablet first."

Petrov's gaze first went to Mutou – and why him? Malik resisted the urge to cuff the slightly smaller man without reason – and then to Malik. "Very well," the man said, rising again. "Let us go immediately."

&

_Why did _he_ have to be here!?_

Bakura mentally stormed in circles. The boy who had banished him to the darkness – looking so much smaller now that Bakura possessed a body so much larger – trailed along behind himself and Malik Ishtar in complete silence. Of course he was in Malik's service – it was only natural for him to be in the Masoleum – but for him to be a personal handservant to the Rod-bearer was not part of Bakura's plan.

That even meeting Malik face-to-face would not have been possible without this little mishap was merely coincidence.

Bakura had tried to scan his mind with the Eye, but three things had stopped him – first, Malik's obvious discomfort with having 'Mutou' noticed. He did not need Malik fighting him just yet. Secondly, whenever he tried to channel his effort into the Eye now, Petrov had taken up the annoying habit of surging to the surface, trying to wrest back control of his body. Apparently getting into these shady dealings was too much for the Egyptologist to handle. Finally, the brief chance he had taken – upon first seeing the boy – it had been like finding something that wasn't actually there, his gaze slipping around and losing its grip on something invisible and wet. Could it be that the Items had no dominion over him? How could that possibly be!?

He had, of course, commissioned a limo and a driver for this trip; he could trap the driver's mind in something inanimate after he was done and no one would ever know the location he intended – but Malik walked right past him, indicating a waiting car of his own. Bakura decided that the disadvantage this created was tolerable. Mutou, however, was not. He stepped slightly into Malik's path before the would-be Pharaoh could join his servant in the car. "Leave the Mutou boy here," he said, his voice flat.

Malik's hand wrapped more tightly around the Rod. Bakura had not been surprised to witness the subtle change in personality that overcame the Egyptian upon contact with the Item, but he had been interested to see that the probably Other Personality apparently needed constant contact with the Rod to maintain control. It also seemed to work closely enough with Malik that Malik himself was likely unaware of the switch. "He stays," Malik hissed, "Or I will simply send my men to find the tablet after your untimely death."

Bakura snorted at this bravado. He could live indefinitely in the Eye; if Petrov was killed and the Eye taken from him, it would be inconvenient, but it was unlikely that Malik would not find someone to employ the Eye – and thus free Bakura – again. After all, a Pharaoh couldn't be without his Court. "Your threats do not scare me," he said calmly in the shorter man's ear. But Malik's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Bakura realized he was in danger of overplaying his hand. Malik could not know he was afraid of Mutou, but perhaps – "But how can you assure that one's obedience? Your Rod does not affect him."

Malik did seem a little surprised that 'Petrov' could know that, but he recovered quickly and shouldered past Bakura. "You, too, are perceptive," he smirked, "But then again, you're a puppet of the Eye – you can't even help it." He climbed into the car, and Bakura followed without any other choice.

&

Yuugi's senses felt muted, like his head was wrapped with cotton fuzz. He was on his feet only with a heavy dose of fever-reducers and painkillers administered by Rishid before he'd been shoved out the door and into Malik's car for the impromptu trip; the good news was that his head no longer swam so much that he couldn't walk straight. His joints ached and his chest hurt, like when he had caught the flu a few years ago, only with more blood-vomiting.

Could he do nothing right? What kind of care was he taking with his _aibou's_ body? Yuugi chastised himself within the confines of his own mind, only dimly aware of the goings-on around him.

Posturing between Pharaoh Malik and the man calling himself 'Petrov'. Millennium Items were everywhere; even sick as he was, Yuugi could feel them calling him dimly. With this many he could have dragged the whole car into the Shadows and a Dark Game if he needed to, but he had to conserve his strength. There was another God tablet at the end of this trip, supposedly, and Yuugi would have to claim it in his Pharaoh's name.

What did Petrov want, Yuugi wondered dimly. Probably the Millennium Items. He wondered if Malik knew it and if Malik had any trump cards but the Gods in mind to keep Petrov from taking them. Of course, there was always _that _weapon … but Malik should have brought Rishid along for muscle. He didn't dare mention it, of course, not with Malik holding the Rod. Would Malik play a Shadow Game for the Eye? Would Petrov accept?

He stared with rapt attention at the junction of the seats to the floor and said nothing, and Malik did nothing to draw him out. Petrov had his full attention.

Or so Yuugi thought. The car came to a stop and Petrov climbed out, claiming they had arrived. Malik grabbed Yuugi's arm at the junction of his biceps and shoulder, his grip dangerously tight. Yuugi didn't even try to suppress his wince. "It is _you _Petrov fears," Malik hissed. "What have you done to him? What secret does he know?"

"I don't know," Yuugi whispered back, almost wanting to beat Malik's hand off of himself as he subconsciously tried to pull away. "I have never met him before to my knowledge!"

"Are you certain!?" Malik demanded, his voice still low, his hand squeezing harder. "Perhaps in another form, you have met him?"

Yuugi stared at Malik. How much did Malik know, really, about Yuugi's belief of what the Puzzle held? Was there any reason for Malik to believe that perhaps Items contained spirits, or the power to split one spirit into two? "I have never seen one who wields the Eye, not this user or another, so, no, I do not believe I have met him," he growled, his entire fuzzy, wavering attention narrowed down to the painful grip. Malik's hand tightened. "After all you did last night will you break my arm as well!?" Yuugi asked in a desperate, angry gasp, and then, when Malik merely looked at him, he shut his eyes, swallowed his pride, and begged. "Please, my Pharaoh! Please stop!"

Malik took a moment to consider before he relented. "… Do not leave my sight," Malik ordered, and climbed out of the car, taking the Rod and the case holding the Key and Scales with him.

Yuugi, hiding a furious scowl behind his bangs and rubbing his bruised arm, merely followed, an obedient dog.

Petrov took them through a security checkpoint using a keycard and a fingerprint scanner, then down a long and well-lit hallway. A final door, and they entered a room that, like Malik's previous home for Osiris, was not unlike an unused warehouse.

The stench that hit Yuugi's nostrils almost sent him to the floor with a wave of dizzying nausea. He probably would not have been so affected if he had been fully healthy, for the body he saw only moments later was not long dead; it was the smell of human waste, urine and worse, probably released posthumously. The man's head sat awkwardly on his shoulders, his eyes not even closed nor his body unbound from the chair he still sat upon.

Malik gave the body almost no notice as he approached the only other item of note in the room: the _ka_ tablet, bearing the image of a great phoenix rising from its own ashes, carved in the style of the Ancient Egyptians. "_Atum-Ra,_" he breathed, "the rising sun …" He ran two fingers down its surface, refusing to relinquish the case or his Rod to properly reverence the tablet.

Yuugi breathed slow and deep through his mouth, keeping his hand against the wall to recover himself. He felt eyes upon him; he twisted and saw Petrov watching him with an unblinking gaze. Yuugi straightened slowly, but did not speak.

Petrov approached Yuugi until the distance between them was just small enough for discomfort. Yuugi leaned against the wall in an effort to appear nonchalant, but Petrov seemed to be trying to penetrate Yuugi's mind with the Eye, not attack him physically. Yuugi had nothing to fear from his Item.

Finally, with a frustrated sound, Petrov gave up, but his stare remained piercing even as he curled his lip. "You are not so strong as last time," he sneered.

Yuugi narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"What reason do you have for loyalty to him?" Petrov asked. Yuugi realized the Eye Bearer was trying to sow discord between himself and Malik, and he almost laughed, but Petrov continued, "Why do you not simply wrest the Rod away from him as you wrested the Ring from me?"

Yuugi's breath turned to ice in his lungs, and he went very still. Petrov's lip curled as he saw recognition dawn in Yuugi's eyes. "The _Spirit of the Ring!?_" he asked _sotto_-voice, hardly able to believe it himself.

He did not realize how completely distracted he had been until Malik shouted for him, fury evident in his voice: "Yuugi!"

"I could help you," not-Petrov whispered to Yuugi, even as he straightened in automatic response to his Pharaoh.

"Leave me alone," Yuugi snapped, his mind reeling as he went to Malik.

"Ra does not answer," Malik said as soon as he drew close enough, and his teeth were clenched. "You must call him out first."

Yuugi had known this, but had not dared to tell Malik because of this exact response. But there was a way to fool Malik, perhaps – it had come to him while he slept. He kept his head down as he said, "Perhaps if there was a Dark Game, you could call it out." In truth, Yuugi knew that if he or someone else initiated a Dark Game, then the tablet would call to him just as the others had. It would be a lie to say he was not slightly giddy at the thought. "And of course, if you want Petrov's Millennium Eye, then …" he trailed off as something new, slightly distant, thrummed at him.

"What are you waiting for?" Malik asked with deceptive calm. "Game Petrov, and I will draw out the spirit of Ra!"

But Yuugi was distracted. He looked at the floor, unseeing, as something else tugged at his soul. "Pharaoh," he said, his voice catching slightly on a cough, "there is another Item Bearer coming."

"What!?" Malik snapped. "_Another _one? Where!?"

Yuugi closed his eyes and pointed before he looked, lifting his head to gaze up at the skylights of the warehouse. "Up … there?"

That was all the warning either of them got before the skylight shattered, and all hell broke loose.

To be continued

_Notes: I wanted to thank everyone that has stuck through my long, long absences and struggles with this story. I can promise you an end to this particular arc to the story; the rest of the arcs, which include the Oricalchos and a retelling of Memory World, will probably be a long time in coming but I hope to produce them all for you someday._

_In the meantime, thank you again for reading and please leave a review!_


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